


Stuck In the Middle With You

by Ultra



Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Conversations, Best Friends, Breaking Up & Making Up, Character Development, F/M, Family Dynamics, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, High School, Lilly Lives, Love, Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-08-03
Updated: 2007-08-03
Packaged: 2019-08-27 19:57:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 49,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16709041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: On the night Lilly steals the sex tapes and Aaron goes after her, a split-second decision saves Miss Kane’s life. It also puts Veronica in a very awkward position, and breaks Logan’s heart along the way. The two ultimately find comfort in each other.





	1. Complicated

“You dirty dog!” Lilly gasped as she found video taping equipment stored in the bookcase of the Echoll’s pool house. Her affair with Aaron had been fun, but this ended it. She hadn’t realised quite how perverse he was, but he would pay for it, she decided, as she grabbed the tapes from the secret shelf and ran to her car.

It was quite obvious that when Aaron realised the tapes were gone, he’d come after her. Lilly was tough but a grown man could easily beat her down if he had to, and she knew how rough Mr Echolls could be.

Driving a little faster than the limit allowed she shot through a red light, one hand on the steering wheel the other reaching into the glove compartment and grabbing the first scrap of paper she could lay her hands on. Lacking a pen she pulled out a lipstick from her purse as she swung the car into the kerb outside Veronica’s house.

Scribbling a few words, she tied the note and all the tapes together with one of the elastic hair ties she kept on her arm. Flinging the little package into the mailbox, she scrambled back into her car and put her foot down hard on the gas. Once she was home, she’d be safe enough, Aaron wouldn’t try anything if he thought her parents or Duncan might see and they were bound to be home at any moment.

Her heart beating faster than it should, Lilly whooped and cheered to herself, revelling in the adrenaline rush, and the catastrophic mayhem she would cause when those tapes hit the media. Her parents would have a fit, Aaron would be ruined, and she’d be even more famous than she already was.

As she arrived at home, she leapt from the car, and hurried through the house, losing her clothing one piece at a time. In her room she scrambled into mini shorts and a small top, before grabbing her sun-screen and a magazine, and sauntering outside to the pool, like everything was normal.

* * *

“Backup? What is it boy?” Veronica asked the dog as she came from her bedroom and found him up on his back legs, looking out of the front window. She arrived by the glass just in time to hear the squeal of tyres and catch sight of a cars tail-lights disappearing into the distance.

With a frown, Veronica hurried out the front door. She glanced down the street but the car was already gone. When she turned back she found the front of the mail box hanging open, and a small package inside.

“V, he knows I have these, he’ll come after me, keep them safe, L,” she read aloud from the note, her mind going into overdrive as she ran back inside with the tapes. Grabbing her video camera she set it up by the TV, shoving the tape inside, at the same time dialling Lilly’s cell on the cordless phone. Clearly something very weird was going on, and she feared for her best friend. Of all the wacky stunts she pulled this was a new one on Veronica, and she didn’t like it.

As she heard Lilly’s voice telling her to leave a message, Veronica threw the phone aside and turned to the TV. The sight that met her eyes shocked her and made her feel very sick.

“Lilly and... Mr Echolls?” she gasped, wondering how her friend could do this, to herself, and to Logan, and with this man of all people! He had a violent streak, they all knew it. He’d hit Logan before, beaten him for the smallest of crimes. If Lilly was right, if Aaron knew she had these tapes, that she might make them public, Veronica just didn’t like to think of what he might do.

Grabbing her bag and her keys she bolted out of the door and dived into her car, headed for the Kane house just as fast as she could. Lilly’s life might very well depend on her.

* * *

When Aaron caught up with Lilly she was laid out on a sun lounger by the pool, looking just as innocent as the next Neptune heiress.

“I want those tapes back!” he yelled angrily, not buying her little routine. He knew she’d taken them, and he knew being the little princess brat she was, she’d happily ruin his career without a moments pause if he gave her half the chance.

“Mr. Echolls, hi!” Lilly grinned, peering up at him, squinting a little at the bright glare of the sun. “Sorry, Logan’s not here.”

“I am not playing with you,” he threatened and yet Lilly remained unphased.

“Oh, really.” She smirked as she stood up in front of him. “You’re usually very interested in playing with me,” she reminded with a sexy look that had little or no effect at this particular time.

“You give me the tapes, you stupid little bitch,” Aaron boomed, his temper well and truly lost as she tried to walk away and he grabbed her arm pulling her back. His other hand went for the large ashtray on the table, but never actually grabbed it as a jolt of electricity went through his back and he crumpled to the floor.

As he fell, Lilly turned and spotted Veronica standing there, a look of shock on her face as she realised just what she’d done.

“Lilly! Veronica!” Duncan called as he ran from the house to see what was going on, abandoning his gym bag on the way. “I heard yelling and... Mr Echolls?” he gasped at the sight of his best friends father on the ground, in the foetal position.

“Damn, Veronica!” Lilly actually laughed, despite the gravity of the situation. “That was cool!”

Duncan looked between the two girls with a shocked and questioning look. At the same time Veronica stared with disbelief at Lilly who continued to giggle. She might’ve been killed if circumstances had been different, and she thought it was a big joke.

* * *

“Hello?” Logan called as he knocked on the front door of the Mars family home. “Anybody home? Veronica? Lilly?”

He frowned when he got no answer. Whilst he hadn’t expected any adults to be present, he had thought the two girls might be here, after all when Lilly wasn’t home she was either with him or Veronica. He so needed to talk to her, though whether it was for the sake of another argument that finally ended them, or a make-up that meant they’d stay together always he wasn’t entirely sure yet, he just wanted to see his girlfriend.

Defeated he leaned his forehead on the door, his elbow catching the handle which shifted. It seemed the door was closed but not locked and he could here noises coming from somewhere.

“Veronica?” he called as he opened the door and let himself inside.

He soon discovered the sounds he’d heard were not people in the house but the TV that had been left on, playing a tape from a video camera. He couldn’t understand what he was looking at first of all as he stared at the fuzzy picture on the screen. When light dawned in his mind he felt physically sick. Lilly and his father, they’d been having an affair, and for whatever reason there were tapes of it. Logan lasted all of thirty seconds before he had to run to bathroom and heave.


	2. Lean On Me

Veronica was way past tired when she reached home. It had taken hours to get everything figured out at the Kane house, most especially after the Sheriff, Veronica’s very own father, had arrived. Everybody had to give their statement; Lilly, Duncan, Veronica, after Aaron had been taken away in handcuffs, arrested for what he’d attempted to do to Lilly. Of course the attack was only half the story, as Veronica was forced to explain. The tapes would bring up a whole other charge against Aaron Echolls, after all, though Lilly consented to sex with him, she was not quite seventeen and as such too young for it to be legal.

The whole thing made Veronica’s head spin and it was far from over yet. She’d only been allowed to escape the Kane house and all the questions and arguing that had occurred when Jake and Celeste arrived home because her Dad realised someone ought to go and recover the tapes from the Mars house.

Veronica had been sent back there with a Deputy he trusted but didn’t need right now at the scene of the crime.

“Thanks, Leo.” Veronica forced a smile as she hopped out of the patrol car and went towards her home. She was a little wary of the fact the door opened without being unlocked. Perhaps she’d left it swinging when she’d hurried to save her friend, it was certainly possible. Still, she was a little nervous about going into the house alone when someone might be there. Despite the fact she knew Aaron was behind bars at the Sheriff’s office by now, she couldn’t quite bring herself to face up to walking into the house.

“Veronica?” Leo called to her as he left the car and followed her up the path. “You okay?” he checked.

“I think there might be somebody inside,” she whispered. “I just didn’t want to-”

“It’s okay.” Leo nodded, pulling his gun from the holster. “You stay behind me, we’ll check it out,” he said, encouraging her to move aside from the door which she did, walking a step behind him as he quietly opened the door and went into the house.

They were both surprised by the sight that met their eyes. No attackers laid in wait, no thieves had been interrupted, here was just a boy, broken and tearful, sitting in the centre of the living room floor, his eyes glued to the TV screen.

“Logan?” Veronica frowned as she stepped out from behind Leo and approached her friend. He appeared not to hear her at all, and yet he must have in such close proximity. Glancing at the screen, Veronica realised what he was watching and she winced at the sight of Aaron on top of Lilly making her scream with delight.

“Why are you watching this?” she said almost angry at him for doing such a thing. She reached for the remote and shut off the TV, pulling the tape from the camera and stuffing it back in the box.

“These are all the tapes,” she said, pushing them into Leo’s hands. “Take them to my dad, tell him I’m home safe and that Logan is with me.”

“Are you sure I shouldn’t take you with me, or maybe stay here?” Leo suggested.

Veronica shook her head.

“Honestly, I can deal,” she assured him with a brave smile. The deputy just nodded and turned to leave, taking one final glance back at the two young people before he finally left.

“Logan, I’m sorry,” Veronica said shakily, a little worried by the fact he’d yet to move, or speak, or react in any way to her presence or the fact the TV screen was now blank.

“Why?” he asked, his voice sounding hoarse. From the tracks on his face Veronica guessed he’d been crying, something she didn’t ever remember him doing before, not ever in front of her.

“I don’t know,” she said, to cover all bases. Whether he was asking why she was sorry or why his Dad and girlfriend had done this to him, she had no real reason to give for either question.

“Did you know about this?” he asked suddenly turning angry eyes upon her as she knelt next to him on the floor.

“Of course not!” she shot back indignantly.

“You’re probably lying,” he scoffed as he scrambled to his feet and turned his back on her, wiping old tears from his face. “You had those tapes, and you’re Lilly’s best friend, you had to know,” said Logan, sounding both bitter and angry, neither emotion Veronica could blame him for. She could however protest the fact that he was accusing her of being in on this painful secret, which she had not been until a few hours ago when the tapes had arrived in her mail box via Lilly’s hand.

“Logan, look at me,” she demanded, pulling on his arm til he did as he was told. “You know I’m not lying,” she said, eyes trained on his own. “We’ve been friends long enough, you know I never would.”

Slowly he nodded his head, agreeing that what she said was true. Veronica wasn’t a liar, he doubted she’d no how to be so duplicitous. She was the complete opposite to Lilly in so many ways, it was quite shocking how two so different people could be best friends.

“You might just be the only person in my life that doesn’t lie to me,” he said, almost making it sound like a joke, though the tears that welled in his eyes gave him away. He half collapsed onto Veronica, and all she could do was hold onto him. The pair of them crumpled back to the ground and she rocked him like a child as he cried. She figured he’d be upset by all this, though she hadn’t quite granted on him being this bad.

When she gave it some thought she realised it wasn’t all that shocking. His parents and Lilly, they were the only people in Logan’s life that really cared for him. His half-sister, Trina, was never around, and when she was the pair fought like cat and dog. He had a few friends, but the 09ers travelled in packs out of habit. Duncan was perhaps a better ally than most, but the rest came and went as they felt like it.

It occurred to Veronica that two of the three pillars holding up Logan’s world had just crumbled to dust. Though his father was hard on him, she had no doubt the man still mattered to his son. He was a constant force if nothing else, a definite part of life that rarely changed. Logan’s mother meant the world to him, this she knew for a fact, and proof had been prolific enough over the years. Lilly was his other rock, the one girl he loved above all others. Though she cheated on him, a kiss here, a fumble there, he always took her back and to Veronica’s recollection she’d only ever seen Logan share one kiss with another girl whilst he and Lilly were together. One kiss, compared to all she had done. It did not put Miss Kane in a good light, and right now, despite being the girl’s best friend, Veronica could find it in herself to violently dislike Lilly, as Logan finally stilled in her arms, his crying over for now.

“Logan,” Veronica said softly, hating that she was about to cause him more pain, but knowing she must tell the truth, after all she was the one who just moments ago had assured him she would never lie to him. “There’s something else you have to know, about your dad,” she explained, her eyes leaving his and dipping to the floor.

“Did he hurt her?” he asked, and Veronica realised that he must have seen the note Lilly had left with the tapes, the one that said she knew Aaron would come after her when he discovered she had the evidence of their affair. Logan knew his father’s temper always got the better of him. As hurt as he was, as upset and angry as he was at Lilly, he couldn’t bear to think Aaron might’ve harmed her, like all those times he’d hurt him.

“He tried,” Veronica admitted with a nod. “I got their just as he...” she winced at the memory, and the way her vivid imagination ran away with her. The consequences could have been horrific if Aaron’s hand had made it to that ashtray, if he’d have managed the strike he was clearly planning. “The important thing is, Lilly’s okay,” Veronica said at last. “Everybody’s okay.”

“What about him?” he spat the word out like even referring to his father in that simple term made him feel sick.

“He was arrested,” Veronica told him. “My dad has him down at the station, he’ll be questioning him when he’s done at the Kane house,” she explained. “Jake and Celeste kinda hit the ceiling.”

Logan managed a painful laugh at that as he pulled out of Veronica’s arms and let himself sit down on the carpet.

“Lilly’s life ambition is to give Daddy and Mommy Dearest a shared heart-attack,” he said with a shake of his head and a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I guess I just wasn’t badass enough for her anymore, I mean, hey, why date the copy when you can have the original, right?” he said with emphatic arm gestures.

“No,” Veronica protested. “I don’t believe it was like that,” she tried to defend her best friend, though she wasn’t sure how she was going to continue until the words came out her mouth. “Lilly loves you.”

“Yeah,” Logan agreed sarcastically. “She loves me so damn much she was cheating on me with my own father!” he exploded, voice rising with anger and emotion as he tried to take it in. He picked up a ball, presumably abandoned in the middle of the floor by Back-up, and threw it so it hit the wall with a thump, bouncing off somewhere else and rolling out of sight.

“I wish I knew what to say to make it better,” Veronica admitted sadly, the emotion of her own situation finally catching up with her it seemed. “I wish I knew, but I don’t,” she said, voice wavering as the full force of what had happened really hit her.

Lilly could’ve died tonight. Without her own quick thinking, maybe Veronica could have too. Logan’s pain on top of her own shock and confusion was just too much emotion to bear and tears slid down her cheeks, her hand going to her face as she gave in and cried.

“Veronica,” the sound of her name from her friends lips was all the invitation she needed to take her turn at being comforted. She closed the floor space between them and let him wrap his arms around her as she let it all out.

“I thought... he could’ve killed her, and me,” she cried and Logan closed his eyes, hating that he knew it was true. He’d seen his father’s violent temper too many times, against himself, against his mother, the thought of what he might’ve done to Lilly and Veronica in one of his rages - she was right, he could’ve killed them both.

“Ssh, it’s okay,” he comforted the little blonde in his arms, rubbing a hand over her back and trying to calm her. They remained wrapped together in the middle of the floor, even after she stopped crying, both lost in their own thoughts, and grateful for the support of a friend.


	3. This Is How It Goes

“Are you just going to sit there glaring all night, Donut?” Lilly asked his brother as she sat across the table from him, slumped down in her chair, her arms folded across her chest.

“I don’t know what to say to you,” Duncan admitted, shaking his head. “I mean, how could you do this, Lilly? I don’t understand!”

“God, what is your problem?” she yelled back at him, getting up from her seat and waving her arms in an emphatic gesture as she laughed. “You’re getting as uptight as Mom and Dad,” she told him, moving over to the counter and hopping up to sit on the edge.

Jake and Celeste had of course gone apoplectic when they arrived home just minutes after the Sheriff and his men. The whole story was required to be relayed again, Lilly’s version, then Duncan’s too. They’d tried to get information from Veronica, though Keith had protected his own daughter from the brunt of the Kanes’ combined rage. It was the biggest reason why he’d sent her home to fetch the tapes which could easily have waited a while. He wanted her out before things got too bad.

As they heard of Aaron Echolls attack on their little girl, Jake started demanding that heads roll for such a crime, and Celeste’s immediate question to her daughter was why this man should want to harm her. She had no doubt in her mind at all that Lilly had again brought trouble upon herself, and of course she was proven right as the truth of the whole sorry affair was revealed.

Both Kanes soon had a drink in their hands, desperate to steady their nerves and remain calm as they thought over the scandal that had occurred. If the media got hold of this, they dreaded to think what could happen. The good name of Kane would be dragged through the mud, and neither Jake nor Celeste relished the prospect of that.

It disgusted Keith to hear the family discuss these matters, referring to how much this would cost to cover up, the damage it could do to them in terms of public relations. They seemed to care not at all about the fact their daughter might have died tonight if not for some quick thinking on both the part of Lilly herself and Veronica.

Hours later, Jake saw Keith to the door as Celeste went to her room, saying she was unable to look at Lilly right now. Jake had also not returned from letting the Sheriff out of the house and had presumably followed his wife or selected another room in the house to hide in. Duncan guessed he was probably in his office, doing as much damage control as possible, despite the fact it was now the early hours of the morning. He and Lilly had been left together and he was stunned to realise she was not at all bothered by the events of the night. It was one big joke to her, the fact she and Veronica might both have been badly hurt, or worse killed, had little or no effect.

“Did you for a second think about what you were doing?” Duncan asked his sister, turning to where she sat on the counter still, kicking her legs like a small child might.

“What’s to think?” she shrugged and rolled her eyes simultaneously. “Aaron’s hot and he wanted me. Let’s face it, what guy doesn’t?” She grinned and immediately her brother was on his feet, getting up in her face as he grabbed her by the upper arms.

“This isn’t a game, Lilly,” he told her sharply. “Don’t you understand what you’ve done?”

“Yeah,” she said, to rhyme with ‘duh’. “I slept with a guy, big deal.” She laughed it off like it was nothing. “And he got mad at me when I pissed him off.”

“He could’ve killed you,” Duncan pressed the point, but Lilly shook her head, and pushed him away from her, hopping back down to the floor.

“You need to chill out, little brother,” she told him. “I know your little world is pretty PG-13 most of the time, but us grown ups have different problems.”

“I sometimes wonder if you do have a problem,” Duncan said, almost nastily. “If you did it might explain how you think it’s okay to act this way.” He shook his head. “You’re my sister, Lilly, and I love you, but God, I don’t understand you.”

“What’s to understand?” she asked him, not getting it. “I’m seventeen, Duncan, young and free, and-”

“Free?” he echoed, interrupting her. “Did you forget you were with Logan pretty much constantly for the past three years?”

“Logan’s sweet,” Lilly conceded, “but it’s not like we’re going to get married, have kids, live happily ever after until we’re ninety.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re so naive, Duncan,” she told him as she turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

“No, you’re not walking away, I’m not done yet,” he told her firmly. She turned back and glared at him, pulling her wrist free from his grasp.

“God, where do you get off yelling at me about my love life?” she asked him, getting annoyed and angry by now. “I’m not the one who was dating our sister!”

That particular comment silenced Duncan once and for all. She was right of course, he had been dating Veronica and there was a good chance they could very well be half-brother and half-sister, since his Dad and her Mom had been having an affair back in the day. When he found out the truth, he’d stopped dating Veronica, though he couldn’t bear to formally dump her and could not give her any real explanation without telling her the secret he’d been sworn to keep.

Lilly, of course, was his one confidante on the matter, and he knew it was probably just as hard for her to keep this thing under wraps as it was for him. After all, Veronica was her best friend, it would be perfect for the two of them to find out they were sisters, it would be disastrous, however, for Duncan to find proof that he was related to the little blonde. He’d fallen in love with her some time ago, and despite his best efforts to quash them, he knew those feelings were still there. He was disgusted with himself for having these thoughts, these emotions, about a girl he might have a blood tie too, but there was nothing he could do about it, not a thing.

The sad and hurt look on his face even got to Lilly, the girl who never seemed to care much for anyone’s feelings but her own. She had the decency to look a little ashamed of herself at least as she apologised for her ‘below the belt’ comment.

“You can’t keep this up forever, Lilly,” Duncan told her. “You can’t keep pretending that nothing and no-one matters but you and what you want,” he said seriously. “Tonight, you could’ve been killed, Veronica too. Now Logan will find out you cheated on him with his father, and will probably have to watch him go to jail, tearing his whole family apart.”

“I never meant for all this to happen.” Lilly sighed. “It just... it got messed up is all.” She shrugged, looking off in the other direction as she thought it over.

She knew what she was doing when she slept with guys, Aaron, Weevil, Logan, and the others whose names were less clear. She always felt like she had such control over them, and she loved it as much as they loved her, which she was sure they all did, whether they said it or not.

As Duncan left the room, she was hardly aware of it. Maybe he was right, maybe she’d had a lucky escape tonight. She knew Aaron was violent, but he wouldn’t really have harmed her, would he? As she thought more about it, Lilly wasn’t so sure. She ought to go see Veronica tomorrow, check in, see if she was okay. She had kind of saved her, which was very cool.

The next person she thought of was Logan. Duncan was definitely wrong about him. She hadn’t screwed up his life, she’d done him a favour. He hated the father who was always on his back, beating him when he did wrong. As for her affair, it wasn’t like she was seeing Logan and Aaron at the same time... well, maybe for a while, she smiled mischievously as she thought about it. Her romances had perhaps overlapped here and there, if you could call them all romances.

With a sigh, Lilly headed out of the room and towards the stairs. The events of the night and consequent going over and over of them had tired her out and she was ready for bed and sleep by now. Tomorrow she would go see Veronica and Logan and set everything straight. Duncan was making way too big a deal out of this. It was totally fixable, and she’d be the one to do it.

* * *

“Okay, Dad,” Veronica said into the phone as she watched Logan sitting on the couch, wiping old tears tracks from his face with the backs of his hands and yawning. “I’ll see you later,” she half-smiled. “Love you too,” she said before the call ended and she hung up the phone.

“It’s weird but somehow I don’t think my dad’s coming home tonight either.” Logan smirked, though he looked far from humorous as Veronica came over to the couch and sat down beside him. “I just feel so stupid right now,” he admitted and she shook her head, putting an arm around him.

“You don’t have a reason too,” she assured him. “What they did... It’s not your fault, and you couldn’t have known.”

“My dad and my girlfriend, Veronica.” Logan shook his head. “Seeing each other at my house, behind my back, and I’m the idiot who didn’t even notice.”

“Hey, Lilly’s my best friend and I had no idea,” the blonde promised him. “I thought we shared everything but...” She shook her head at a loss as to understand how her friend could do this.

She knew Lilly chased other guys, or rather allowed them to chase her, but to her knowledge she’d never really cheated on Logan. A few kisses that had gone too far maybe, but then only when her and her boyfriend were on one of their breaks. This she could scarce believe, and yet she’d been subjected to the evidence, just as Logan had.

“What is it with the Kane family?” He sighed, as he turned to look at her. “Y’know I spent weeks asking Duncan why he broke up with you,” he admitted. “Couldn’t get one decent explanation out of him, not one,” he said, shaking his head.

“Join the club.” She forced a smile. “It was like he just stopped wanting me around, and he didn’t even have the guts to tell me.” She sighed.

“Who wouldn’t want you around?” Logan smiled, the nearest thing to a genuine smile she’d seen from him all night as he tugged on the back of her hair.

“It’s a mystery.” She shrugged, feigning genuine confusion, and they both managed to find a little humour in it. There had been too many tears tonight, too much pain, and tomorrow, or should that be later today, was set to be just as hard to deal with.

“Wow, is that really the time,” said Logan with wide eyes as he caught sight of the clock that told him it was past two in the morning.

“I guess,” Veronica agreed. “We should both be getting to bed,” she said, immediately regretting her choice of words as Logan gave her a look that made her blush. “You know what I mean.” She rolled her eyes, looking away, and he agreed that he did know.

“Home doesn’t seem so inviting right now,” he admitted. “Mom will have heard about everything, she’ll be curled up with a bottle,” he said sadly.

Logan loved his mother dearly but he really wished she could learn to deal with life without the alcohol and the pills. Living with Aaron Echolls wasn’t easy, he knew that, but if only his Mom were more resilient, if she stood up for herself more, maybe Daddy dearest would treat her better.

“You could stay, if you want,” Veronica offered. “We only have the couch but-”

“Thanks, Veronica,” he said with a smile, looking over at her and putting a hand on her arm. “For everything.”

She didn’t know how to answer that, or if she should answer at all. She just put her hand over his and squeezed it, offering a smile back at him.

Tonight had been pretty crazy, the repercussions, she was sure, would be felt for a long time yet, but at least she and Logan each had one friend they could rely on. Whatever happened with Lilly, Aaron, Duncan, whoever, these two had made a connection, re-affirmed a friendship that had been a little undefined up to now. It made the whole sorry situation seem a little less dire for the both of them.


	4. Sunday Morning After

A clatter in the kitchen woke Veronica with a start. A glance at the clock told her it was nearing lunch time and she vaguely wondered why her Dad hadn’t woken her for school when suddenly two thoughts occurred to her; one, it was Sunday, not a school day, and two, her best friend had almost died last night. The memories flooded back into her head with such a force she almost had to physically hold herself steady on the bed, and Veronica processed everything before her mind went back to the crash out in the kitchen that had first woken her up.

With her mom staying with her aunt for the weekend and next week, and her dad likely to either be still at the Sherrifs office or sleeping off a long night of work, that only left...

“Logan?” she was surprised to realise he was the person making noise, after all he’d probably slept less than she had, and she doubted he ever cooked his own meals. Seeing him as he was now, wearing her Dad’s apron over his clothes, and nothing on his feet, looking guiltily at two eggs that’d smashed on floor, it was more than a little bizarre.

“Y’know they cook better in the pan than on the linoleum, right?” she checked, giving him a look. He managed a crooked smile as he responded.

“People say that but have you ever tried it this way?” he asked her, his words dripping sarcasm. “Could be the next big thing”

“Let’s try it the old fashioned way,” she suggested as she came into the kitchen, getting what she needed to clean up the spill and directing Logan to where there were more eggs which he should try cooking the proper way this time.

It hadn’t really occurred to Veronica as she pottered around in the kitchen with her friend, that she wasn’t exactly dressed or prepared for the occasion. She was still wearing the pyjama pants and vest top she had slept in, her hair sticking out in random decorations, and nothing on her feet. Logan had noticed of course, the fact he could see more of her skin than on a normal day, and what he couldn’t actually see was pretty visible from certain angles when the light shone through the fabric of the clothes she wore. She was a distraction, he realised, as he almost burnt the food he was attempting to cook. He hadn’t looked at Veronica in that kind of way, not for years really. She was just Lilly’s friend, Duncan’s girlfriend, and whilst he liked her and was not so blind that he didn’t see she was pretty hot, he took little notice of it til now. She was beyond cute in her pastel coloured nightwear and mussed up hair, and she’d been so great last night when he really needed someone...

“Morning, kids,” Keith’s voice from the doorway caught the attention of both Logan and Veronica, and the boy looked somewhat guiltily back at the stove when he realised Mr Mars had probably caught him scoping out his daughter in her nightwear. “Now, imagine my surprise when I came home and found Logan Echolls asleep on our couch,” he continued as he came over to the counter and hugged his daughter who was pleased to see him. “Of course there are worse places I could’ve found him.”

“Dad!” Veronica gasped, face going redder than a tomato as Logan smirked.

Him and Veronica doing anything like that was kind of a crazy notion, though perhaps slightly less nuts this morning than it would’ve been a couple of days ago.

“So, whose idea was the full on breakfast?” Keith asked as he sat down on a stool by the counter, loving the smells of egg and bacon that assaulted his nose.

Lianne only allowed this kind of food on special occasions, claiming it was all unhealthy and bad. With her away, and a guest in the house, it seemed the rules were being bent a little.

“Mostly Logan’s idea,” Veronica explained when her friend didn’t speak up, apparently still lost in thoughts.

“Well, thank you, Logan,” Keith said, finally gaining the boys attention. “You’ll have to come and stay more often.” He smirked at his own joke as the food was served and the three under-dressed persons all sat around the counter together to eat.

“How long does the awkward silence go on before you tell us what happened with my father?” Logan asked five minutes into breakfast as he picked at his eggs.

“He was pretty mad last night, not exactly in a fit state to talk to me,” Keith explained. “I left him to cool down in the cells, get his lawyer and everything. Looks like I’m gonna be spending a lot of my weekend getting to know Aaron better.”

“Well, y’know you don’t have to worry about me, Dad,” Veronica assured him. “I mean, I can hang here with Logan a while longer,” she suggested. “If you wanted to,” she offered and her friend nodded once.

“That’d be cool,” he agreed, not exactly with enthusiasm, but then given the topic of conversation a few seconds ago it was unlikely he was going to be jumping for joy over anything in particular.

Logan was actually very glad of Veronica’s offer to stay with her. The thought of home still didn’t appeal, though he knew he ought to check on his mother at some point. The only other places to hide were at the Kane’s house, which so wasn’t an option given last nights events, and over at the Casablancas’ place, except Dick would be all questions and rumours that he couldn’t bear to face. Veronica was just... a friend, there was no better description than that. She understood, she didn’t judge, and every time she smiled at him this morning the world felt a little less bad. He could deal with spending time with just her for a while, til some of the badness blew over.

* * *

So many hours in front of the TV soon bored Veronica and Logan. Though they liked each others company well enough there was little they could find to talk about that didn’t involve either the mention of his parents or moreover the Kane family. Everything was a sticky topic, an area of conversation neither wished to venture into right now, and it made for a lot of awkward silence.

“Maybe I should head home, check on my mom,” Logan said, checking his watch and realising it was well into the afternoon. Sitting here in near-silence in front of a movie he’d seen twelve times already was only letting his mind wander onto topics he’d rather not be thinking of; his girlfriend, his father, the activities they’d enjoyed together, and the events of the night before.

“Oh, yeah, I guess maybe you should,” Veronica agreed, though in all honesty she was a little surprised to hear him speak at all. Logan hadn’t been that talkative for the past couple of hours and she doubted that was because the TV was occupying his mind.

“Will you be okay by yourself?” he checked as he got up from the couch and checked his wallet and keys were still in his pockets.

“I won’t be by myself.” She smiled as she petted Backup who was laid out by the couch as if he was watching the TV too.

“Right.” Logan smiled as her realised what she meant and he moved to leave.

Veronica got up to follow and the two of them hovered awkwardly by the door. He wanted to thank her for being there for him, and she wanted to thank him for the same, but neither was sure how.

“This is kind of crazy,” she said, with a nervous laugh. “We’ve known each other for years and this is probably the most time we ever spent alone together.”

“Yeah,” Logan agreed with a nod, not yet offering to leave and yet not knowing what he was going to say or do if he stayed longer.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, at school,” she said just wanting this weird moment to be over.

Logan nodded once again and turned to open the door. A second later he turned back sharply, taking Veronica by complete surprise as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. After a moment of shock, she hugged him back.

“Thanks, Veronica,” he said softly in her ear, before kissing her cheek and letting go of her. He slipped from her embrace and was out the door in a second before she had time to answer or even take in a breath to try.

“You’re welcome,” she said as she watched him walk to his car and then drive away.

* * *

Logan wasn’t exactly surprised to find his mother curled up on the couch with a drink in her hand when he arrived home. She was flicking channels on the plasma screen, and every single news bulletin and entertainment gossip show had the same story or a variation on the theme at least; Aaron Echolls Arrested. Movie Star’s Sex Scandal With Minor. Hollywood Heart-Throb in Attempted Murder Suspicion.

It wasn’t a surprise of course, Logan had expected this, after all he’d had to drive through the crowd of press at his gate, wanting a picture and a comment, neither of which they got very successfully.

“Dad will be so pleased to know the camera got his good side as he got dragged into the Sherrif’s station.” He sighed from behind the couch. His mother looked back at him and forced a smile, though the trails of mascara on her face showed she’d been crying before.

“Logan, sweetheart,” she greeted him. “I’m so sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry for, Mom?” he asked her as he walked around the couch and sat down beside her, picking the remote from out of her hand and flipping off the TV. “So it turns out my Dad and my girlfriend were cheating behind our backs,” he said. “It’d make a hell of a movie script, wouldn’t it?”

Lynn looked pained as she leaned forward and hugged her son. As much as she’d once loved Aaron, she hated him doubly now. He’d given her enough reasons; the verbal abuse, the violence, the humiliation, and now this. The physical damage he’d done to herself and her son, that was bad enough, but they’d endured it. Now he’d ruined them, he’d hurt them beyond compare emotionally, and he’d made them look like fools. For these things, Lynn would never forgive her husband, or the Kane girl, for what she’d done either.

“When Keith called me, he told me you were with Veronica,” she said as she released her son. “She was there when...?”

“Yeah, she probably saved Lilly’s life,” Logan sighed. “Honestly, she’s been amazing.”

“I always liked her better,” Lynn told him, and though it could easily be construed that she’d made her judgement just now, based on what she knew, Logan knew the truth of the matter. His mother had always preferred Veronica to Lilly, and had actually encouraged him to get closer to the Sheriff’s daughter rather than the billionaire’s child. Logan, being a young boy with certain urges, was quite easily led away from the nicer girl by the older, more experienced, Lilly. Now he was starting to wish he’d taken his mother’s advice.

“Yeah, well,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Maybe next time I’ll listen.” He nodded, the room falling into silence again, as both mother and son realised they just didn’t know what to say for the best.

The only sound was the melting ice clinking against the side of Lynn’s glass, as Logan wondered if coming home had been the best of ideas. A part of him so wished he was still at the Mars house with Veronica.


	5. Manic Monday

“Ready to go, sweetheart?” Keith checked with his daughter as she emerged from her room on Monday morning, her school bag on her shoulder.

“As I’ll ever be,” she said, a little shakily.

She didn’t relish the idea of facing Lilly and Duncan today, or the looks and whispers she was sure would be abundant at Neptune High. Everybody was going to know by now about Logan’s father and Lilly, what they’d done, and what happened as a consequence. She realised then that she should worry less about herself and more about her best friends ex. Logan was going to have to be so strong to get through the next few days, weeks, months even, and after what he’d been through already...

“Good morning, Mars family,” the very young man she’d been thinking of grinned as he pulled his car onto the front drive of her house, turning the loud volume of the radio down to almost non-existent.

“Well, good morning, Logan,” Keith greeted him from the front door. “What can we do for you?”

“It is actually more of a case of what I can do for you, sir.” Logan smiled as he hopped out of his car and stepped up onto the porch. “I was thinking perhaps I could give your beautiful daughter a ride to school,” he offered, and despite the fact she was sure it was nothing more than a throw-away comment, Veronica felt a little pleased to hear herself called beautiful - what girl wouldn’t?

“That’s very kind of you, Logan, I’m sure Veronica would love to ride to school with you,” Keith answered for his daughter who seemed incapable of speaking suddenly. She merely nodded in response to the question asked of her, and answer given on her behalf, before wishing her father a good day at work, kissing him on the cheek, and following Logan to his car.

He opened the door for her like a gentleman, fake bowing as she climbed into the vehicle, feeling a little weird about the whole situation. Logan had never come around to her house to pick her up and take her to school. Sometimes he drove her over to Lilly’s after school, or picked the two of them up from the Kane house to go somewhere, but this was a new experience. Besides, Logan seemed awfully chipper today, given the events of the weekend and how he’d been yesterday, all subdued and sad.

The car made a raucous sound as it’s owner revved the engine, before jacking up the volume on the radio once again and pulling out into the road, headed for the school.

“So, I’m guessing this sudden ride to school thing wasn’t to talk,” Veronica yelled over the loud music that boomed in her ears.

“That all depends,” Logan said, turning the radio down to a much more reasonable level as he drove, glancing at her with a smile on his face that surprised her a little bit. He was in surprisingly good spirits considering everything that had happened. “Was there something we were supposed to talk about?”

“I honestly don’t know.” Veronica frowned, not really knowing what to make of all this.

Yesterday Logan had seemed so lost and broken over his Dad and Lilly. They’d leaned on each other as he came to terms with the betrayal, and she in turn dealt with the fact she’d come pretty close to probable death.

Veronica wasn’t exactly sure what she’d expected to happen when they saw each other at school on this strange Monday morning. They’d gotten closer this past weekend than ever before, and yet she wasn’t certain they’d stay that way. There were rules at Neptune High, systems and class divides. Whilst there would be no shame in herself and Logan getting closer, being better friends or even more, there would be talk about it, there was set to be a lot of talk about the whole affair, and by that she knew she meant Lilly and Aaron’s liaisons. With her father being so famous, and Veronica’s own being the Sheriff that arrested Aaron, the three of them plus Duncan and all their parents were going to be today’s big story at the High School, the centre of attention whether they liked it or not.

When Veronica’s thought process slowed a little, she realised she’d returned to the real world just in time to hear Logan speak to her. They’d stopped at a red light and he turned slightly in the driver’s seat to look at her properly.

“Veronica.” He sighed. “Look, I know you probably expected tears and tantrums from me today, or maybe you just expected me to forget the little share-fest we had,” he explained, “but honestly, I kinda need a friend right now. I figured maybe you’d feel the same, and despite the fact I appear to be as good an actor as Daddy Dearest... I seriously wouldn’t mind you being there to hold my hand a little,” he said seriously.

Veronica smiled genuinely at him, but he seemed not to realise she was being sympathetic and friendly.

“Great, I pour out a glass of pure heart and you laugh so hard it shoots out your nose,” he said, sounding both disappointed and angry as he shoved the car into gear and sped off just as soon as the lights turned green.

“Logan.” Veronica sighed. “I’m not laughing at you. This is not a funny situation,” she agreed with his own sentiment, though he still didn’t seem willing to listen to her as they headed down the street, suddenly turning sharply into the school parking lot.

Logan pulled into his usual space and shut off the engine, moving to leap out of the car immediately. He was prevented from doing so as Veronica’s hand landed on his arm and kept him there beside her.

“Hey,” she said, making sure she really had his attention, that he was hearing her words and not just assuming he knew what she meant. “I was not laughing at you,” she promised him. “And y’know, you’re not the only one who could use a friend today,” she admitted, making him feel genuinely better for a few moments, until he looked around and noticed all the eyes that were upon him.

The busy parking lot and school grounds beyond were eerily quiet, save for a few whispers about the situation surrounding Aaron Echolls, Lilly Kane, and their families and friends.

Taking a deep breath, Logan hopped out of the car and hurried around the other side to open the passenger door for Veronica.

“Here, let me help you with your hasty exit, stage left,” he said, half-jokingly.

Sure, she said she wanted them to be friends and all, but Logan was all too used to being stabbed in the back by those that were supposed to be on his side. Plus, she had agreed to be seen with him before she saw just how much attention was about to be thrust upon them, all the pairs of eyes that were staring, and in no kind of good way.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Veronica said with an eye roll as she got out of the car and Logan closed the door. He was a little stunned to see she was holding out her hand to him as if she wanted him to take hold of it.

“The hand holding was kinda metaphorical,” he said awkwardly, but she didn’t move.

“Not for me,” she admitted, not certain whether she was more glad or embarrassed when he finally relented and wrapped his fingers around her own. “Friends, right?”

“Seems like,” Logan agreed with a nod as they headed across the parking lot towards the school building.

It felt weird, beyond weird really, especially for Veronica who wasn’t used to quite this much attention. Now people were going to talk, maybe even more than they already were, about herself, and Logan, and the Kanes. It didn’t matter, that’s what Miss Mars told herself as she looked up at her friend and they shared a shaky smile. They knew the truth, they knew the reality behind the various rumours that made their way through the school, the town, maybe even further. They were friends, that was all, but they both needed that right now, in the absence of...

“Hey, guys!” Lilly Kane’s voice echoed across the parking lot as loud as ever as she hurried towards the pair who were both shocked to see her grinning and coming at them like an over-excited twelve year old on speed. After what had happened, it seemed she still thought they were all friends, that everything was fine. It made Logan feel sick and his hand slipped from Veronica’s as he turned to go.

“Logan!” she called after him, but he turned back only briefly to shoot her an apologetic look and shake his head before he walked quickly away.

“Hey, Veronica,” Lilly said breathlessly when she’d quite finished pelting across the space between them. She either didn’t notice, or didn’t care for her friends aggravated expression, though Duncan noticed and quickly headed in the direction of his own best friend. It felt odd to him, knowing what Logan’s Dad had done with Lilly, what he’d almost done to her on Saturday night too, but they were best friends, they had been for years, surely that shouldn’t change.

Veronica glanced briefly at him as he walked by, before her attention was dragged back to the girl who ought to be her best friend, though quite honestly, right now it was hard to look at her.

“I was so going to come see you yesterday, but Mom was spazzing big time.” Lilly rolled her eyes as if she didn’t understand what the big deal was. “I even tried working on Dad, but I think he’s caught like panic-disease from my mom or something, because he totally wasn’t budging on the idea of me being grounded.” She sighed.

“You’re surprised you got grounded?” Veronica checked, stunned by the revelation. She thought even Lilly would feel bad about this one, for making her family look foolish, for making herself look like such a whore, for breaking Logan’s heart, for almost getting the both of them killed. It seemed all this and more meant little or nothing to Miss Kane, and she laughed it off just like everything else in her life.

“Come on, Veronica,” she said as she looped her arm through her friends and started walking. “When did you ever know me get stuck with a real grounding? I’m always out the next night.”

The older girl looked a little surprised when she realised Veronica wasn’t walking with her, that she was still glued to the spot staring at her with apparent astonishment and maybe even a little disgust.

“I can’t believe you don’t care,” the blonde said incredulously. “Everything that’s happened, the lives you’ve turned upside down and you seriously don’t even care,” she realised, feeling quite sick at the idea of it.

She knew Lilly to be the ‘whatever’ type, let things flow over her and go by without much care for anything, but all this, she thought she’d at least feel a little bad - apparently not.

Though Lilly opened her mouth to reply, Veronica didn’t give her the chance. If her friend couldn’t care about what she’d done, then she couldn’t care too much for her explanation or apology. If it came now, it would be too late anyway. With a shake of her head, she walked away, ignoring the whispers and looks she got. Right now she was making a stand, even if it did mean losing her best friend.

* * *

“Hey, Logan, wait up,” Duncan called behind him, catching more than just his friends attention as other students, even teachers, looked over and whispered about the scandal that connected the two families.

“Why? So you can tell me what a lunatic my father is?” the other boy checked as he glanced from inside his locker to Duncan and back. “Or so you can apologise for what a tramp your sister is?” he asked, finally finding the book he wanted and slamming his locker door shut.

“Lilly’s not perfect,” Duncan admitted, as his friend smirked at the understatement of the century, “but she’s not-”

“Not what, man?” Logan was interested to know as he faced the boy that had long since been his best friend. “Not really a bad person? Not a slut for cheating on me? Not completely stupid for getting mixed up with my dad when she knows what he’s capable of?” he said, voice rising as he got more angry. “And hey, wasn’t she supposed to be dating me whilst she was getting her kicks with dearest Daddy?”

“I’m sorry, man,” Duncan said sincerely, “but y’know he could’ve killed her, and that’s not her fault.”

“Well, it’s not mine,” Logan reminded him, leaning back against the lockers and letting out a breath, the fight going out of him somewhat as he realised this was pointless and stupid. His father and Duncan’s sister were the problems here, neither of the young men had done anything that they ought to be ashamed of. “Oh, today is going to be so much fun,” said Logan, sarcasm overly apparent as he pushed off the lockers and headed down the hallway with his friend still at his side.

“People are always gonna talk, Logan,” he told him, as if he didn’t know. “But hey, that never bothered you before, right?” he checked with a smirk, his attempt at humour helping only a little it seemed as his friend didn’t really respond.

“One more peppy piece of confidence and you’re gonna start sounding like your ex,” he said eventually as they turned the corner.

“Veronica?” Duncan checked, a stupid question when one considered she was the only real girlfriend he’d ever had.

“Actually, she’s been great, a real friend.” Logan nodded. “I guess yesterday I got to see what you always saw, man.” He smiled as he slapped Duncan on the back and walked away.

The young Kane watched his friend go, though he wasn’t so quick to smile. The idea of Logan and Veronica getting close didn’t thrill him, after all he was still in love with the little blonde himself, he just knew now he couldn’t be with her. That didn’t mean he wanted his friend to make a move, but what could he do to stop it?


	6. Goody Two Shoes

Though Lilly Kane had found she’d lost favour with her parents, her brother, possibly even her best friend, and definitely her boyfriend, most of her fellow students at Neptune High had much nicer feelings towards her. When they finally stopped whispering and actually started talking to her, Lilly found most of the girls just thought she rocked for sleeping with the gorgeous movie star that was Aaron Echolls. They had sympathy for her ‘near death’ experience, and admiration for the bravery they seemed to think she’d shown.

The guys were equally happy to crowd around the girl who was quickly beocming known as the easiest girl in Neptune, having been with Logan, his father, and if rumours were to be believed the Echolls’ cleaning lady’s grandson, head biker Eli ‘Weevil’ Navarro! Surely if she was willing to sleep with old guys and Mexicans, everybody on the football and basketball teams stood a way better than average chance with her.

Veronica was appalled by the reaction of the student body at large. It was as if they’d all deliberately found a way to spin this so that Lilly could still be queen of them all. One would think that those who attended Neptune High, especially the ever competitive and self-important 09er girls, would be happy to find a way to dethrone Lilly Kane, but no, they seemed to love another reason to worship at her feet. What bothered Veronica more than that, was that her supposed best friend seemed perfectly content to just let it happen.

Lilly was laughing at something one of the guys had whispered in her ear, amongst the crowd that would share her lunch table. Miss Mars vowed to herself there and then that she would not be following the masses. Though it would be easier of course, to go with the flow, stay friends with the girl who’d been like a sister to her since the first day they’d met, but she couldn’t condone what she’d done, what she was still doing. Cheating on Logan was bad enough, but with his own father, that was despicable. The fact that she made light of events that might’ve led to her serious injury, or worse, her death made Veronica so angry, especially given that she had risked herself too, and barely got a thank you for her trouble.

“Hey, Veronica! Over here!” Lilly called as her friend approached with a lunch tray in her hands.

“No thanks,” she said coolly, as she continued walking right past the group of whispering onlookers, the new Lilly Kane Fan Club.

In moments they were back to chattering and giggling together, and Lilly it seemed couldn’t even be bothered to come over and find out what was wrong, as five minutes past and still Veronica sat alone, mostly with her head down as she picked at her food.

“Please tell me you’re not making a stand on my account?” a voice asked as a shadow fell over her, and Veronica glanced up to see Logan there, his back pack falling off one shoulder, and a pizza box balanced on his hand.

“Not entirely,” she assured him, as she scooted up on the bench, silently offering him a seat.

“Well, for any part of it that’s for me, I appreciate it,” he told her with a genuine look of gratitude. “But I do need one more favour.” 

“Shoot,” she urged him as he opened up the pizza box and pushed it over, making her tray move away from her, and almost out of reach.

“Please God, help me eat this pizza, and do not touch that poison this school calls food,” he practically begged of her, making her laugh along with him.

She took him up on his offer and they sat in comfortable enough silence, sharing the meal. Laughter across the way caught the attention of the both of them, as Lilly’s little tribe of followers stood up from the table with her and headed into the building.

“She’s in her element,” Veronica thought out loud as she watched. “Centre of attention, it’s all she ever wants.”

“Yeah, that’s always been true,” Logan sighed. “You think she’d like it so much when the centre is of a circle, and the attention is from a firing squad?” he said, throwing a piece of crust he didn’t want back into the box, and glaring at the girl who had betrayed him.

“Logan.” Veronica shook her head, letting him know with just her eyes and the tone of her voice that his little joke wasn’t appreciated. Lilly had come pretty close to possible death, she had too, it was not something to be used for humours sake.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, reaching for the last piece of pizza just as Veronica did the same. His hand landed on top of hers and they both pulled back fast as if they’d scalded each other somehow.

“Last piece is for the lady,” he told her chivalrously, sliding the box further her way.

“Really, it’s okay, you can have it,” she insisted, pushing it back.

“Geez, Veronica.” He laughed. “Some friendship this is going to be if we’re going to end up in a fight every time I try to do something uncharacteristically nice.”

Veronica couldn’t help but look strangely at him then. It still seemed weird, that they were or would be such great friends. Logan Echolls was a film stars son, her best friends ex, her ex’s best friend, he wasn’t a good friend of hers, not until now it seemed.

“Thank you, Logan,” she said eventually, smiling as she took the last piece of pizza and took a bite. She felt a little self-conscious as he appeared to be watching her eat. eventually it got the better of her and she asked him if there was a problem.

“Since when do you eat pizza backwards?” he asked, looking amused by the fact she did such a thing, as he moved to sit on the edge of the table, possibly to get a better view of her.

Glancing at the slice of pizza in her hand, Veronica very deliberately turned it around.

“Better?” she checked as she continued eating in the ‘normal’ direction.

As a rule she always ate the crust first, and saved the topping-covered portion for later. It meant she saved the best part for last, and that made much more sense to Veronica.

“No.” Logan shook his head. “I asked when you started eating backwards, I didn’t ask you not to,” he pointed out as he sat on the edge of the table watching her still, looking entirely amused. “Who knows, you could start a new trend, Miss Mars,” he suggested with a smile.

“Yeah, 'cause everybody’s just itching to be like me,” she rolled her eyes, glancing around at all the people who were simultaneously ignoring her and talking bout her.

“If you’re really worried about what people think, Veronica,” Logan said more quietly, looking down at his own shuffling feet as his hands went into his pockets. “I’m not the guy to be seen with right now,” he pointed out, as if she didn’t already know that.

“Hey,” she said, getting his attention, wondering at how he could bounce between happy-go-lucky and lost-and-lonely so fast. “You think I’m not used to people talking about me, saying things I don’t like?” she said, giving him a look.

“What could they find to say?” Logan wondered. “You’re like the epitome of Goody Two Shoes. Don’t drink, don’t smoke, what do you do?” he quoted from the old Adam and the Ants song, much to Veronica’s amusement.

“That’s what people say,” she explained. “That’s what I have to deal with, being seen as Little Miss Sweet and Perfect.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s almost as bad as them telling lies in the other direction... like they probably are today.” She sighed as she glanced around at the gossiping masses of Neptune High, only to find that they weren’t looking so much at herself and Logan anymore, and more so at something of interest by the flagpole it seemed.

“Hey, you ever want to go bad, Veronica,” Logan told her, “tell me first, 'cause I know a thing or two about it.”

“Uh-huh.” She nodded absently, not really paying attention as she strained to see what was happening across the way, why so many students should be so easily entertained all of a sudden, and not by people like herself who had been centre of everything just a few hours ago.

Veronica was up on her feet and going to investigate in a second, Logan duly following with a frown on his face, since up to now he hadn’t even noticed the shift in the Neptune High populace interest.

“What’s going on?” he asked Dick as they reached the back of the crowd that surrounded the school flagpole.

“Dude, it’s so cool!” his friend laughed. “The PCHers taped this guy to the flagpole, buck-naked, man!” he chuckled, finding the whole thing hilarious.

Logan was similarly amused at first, until he saw Veronica’s face. The blonde was horrified by the sight of a stranger, presumably a new student, completely devoid of clothing and bound tightly with duct-tape to the pole upon which the school flag flew. It sickened her that there were people in this school who would be so cruel, and probably for no good reason, after all the masses had quite decided Lilly was still wonderful and Veronica was some kind of freak for not still being her friend, without actually knowing all the facts or any of them really.

All around, her fellow Pirates laughed and cheered, taking photographs and poking fun at the poor naked boy who looked like he was fighting tears if truth be told. She wouldn’t be a part of this, she didn’t find it amusing at all, but if she stood by and did nothing that made her just as bad as them, at least she knew her Dad would say so. A person committing a felony was by definition a criminal, but the person that stood and watched it happen without saying a word, often they infuriated him more.

“No,” Veronica said outloud, though she meant to only think it. She wouldn’t be the one to let this happen, she’d be the one to stand up for herself, and others who couldn’t do the same.

“Veronica, what are you doing?” Logan asked her, putting a hand on her shoulder as she attempted to push through the thick crowd of people that didn’t want to let her past it seemed.

“What needs to be done,” she said, turning angry eyes on the boy who was supposed to be her latest greatest friend. Right now she was as ashamed of him as she was of everybody else that was standing around either laughing or ignoring the situation. “You asked me what I do, Logan,” she reminded him of the words he spoken in jest just moments ago. “I do the right thing,” she said with a look as she tried again to push through the crowds. This time she had a little help as Logan shoved a few boys out of her way, with a call of ‘make way for the lady’, which made Veronica smile in spite of the seriousness of the situation.

At the front of the crowd she looked up at the highly embarrassed transfer student and tried to think how she was going to help now she’d made it this far.

“Here,” Logan said and she turned to see him holding out a penknife to her, the blade already showing.

“Thanks.” She smiled as she took it from him, stepping up to cut the new boy down, much to the amusement and infuriation of some students.

Logan glared at a few that were once his friends, and several backed down as he did so. They’d heard about what his father was capable of, perhaps it was best not to anger the son.

“Come on,” Veronica said to the boy she’d just rescued as she helped him down, removing her jacket and offering it to him.

The crowd remained even then and both the blonde and the young man wearing nothing but duct-tape and a girls jacket felt overly self-conscious of the multiple pairs of eyes upon them.

“Hey, show’s over!” Logan yelled and, much to the relief of the both of them, the audience started to disperse. Veronica shot her friend a smile, already forgiving him for laughing at this other young man’s misfortune, after all he had helped when it had mattered.

“Man, I owe you two,” the boy said suddenly and Veronica smiled.

“It’s fine,” she assured him. “I’m Veronica by the way, and this is Logan.”

“Wallace,” he replied, giving his own name. “I been hearin’ all kinds about you two today. Gotta say, you were the last people I expected to come to my rescue. Thanks.”

“Yeah, well, don’t thank me,” Logan told him, re-pocketing his knife a soon as Veronica handed it back to him. “Thank Miss Goody Two Shoes.” He smirked at the blonde, who rolled her eyes.

That joke was gonna get real old, real fast, but it was cool for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Wallace joined Neptune High a year after Lilly died, it wasn’t a mistake on my part, I have deliberately had him start in the Sophomore year, rather than the Junior year that was shown in Season 1.


	7. Mi Chico Latino

“I can’t believe those guys that did that to Wallace.” Veronica shook her head as she stood with Logan outside the boys locker room, waiting for their newest acquaintice. At Veronica’s insistence, Logan had leant Wallace his gym kit, which wasn’t much of a problem for the young Mr Echolls who never attended the class anyway and therefore had no use for the clothes.

“He had to do something to make the Bikers so mad,” Logan told her, leaning back against the wall and looking suitably bored. “Even that Weevil guy doesn’t tape you to a flagpole without some kind of reason.”

“Yeah well, someone needs to teach him that there’s never a reason for that kind of thing,” Veronica snapped angrily and Logan looked at her with a stunned expression.

“Geez, Veronica, you’re turning into a real protector of the people lately.” He smirked, as he realised just how true it was. She’d probably saved Lilly’s life, plus she’d been there for him in a big way the past couple of days, and now the new kid was in her debt.

“Hey,” said new kid emerged from the locker room smiling nervously. “Thanks again for everything,” he said sincerely to the both of them.

“It’s okay.” The blonde smiled back. “Nobody deserves to be treated that way.”

“That’s not what the guys with the leather jackets and the motorcycles seem to think.” Wallace sighed.

“Don’t sweat it, man.” Logan shrugged. “They’re probably just messing with you because you’re the new kid. Call it a right of passage.”

“I would, ‘cept school ain’t the first place I saw them,” he admitted as the three headed down the hallway together. “I work at the Sac-n-Pac,” he explained. “Two of those biker guys came in last night took a bunch of beers and threw a dollar bill at me. I pushed the silent alarm so the Sheriff came, but by then the whole gang had shown up,” he told the story, feeling queasy just thinking about it. “Sheriff asked me if the guys paid for the beer. I don’t wanna say I was scared or nothin’ but-”

“But you were scared?” Logan filled in with a smirk that Veronica wiped off with a simple stern look. Her friend made emotion as if to zip his mouth closed, and Wallace continued his story.

“So the Sheriff asks me if the biker dudes are telling the truth about paying me.” He sighed. “And I said yeah, and that I pressed the emergency button by accident.”

“So what’s the problem?” Veronica checked.

“The Sheriff had his deputy take the surveillance tape,” Wallace explained, as they headed out the doors and back into the quad. “Those guys are still in trouble 'cause of me, and I’m pretty much the most unpopular guy in school on my first day.” He sighed.

“Hanging out with us isn’t gonna help you, man,” Logan told him, slapping him on the back. “In fact, your popularity might actually dip below zero.”

“Well, I’m not gonna argue with that,” said a voice behind them, and all three of them turned to see Weevil and his friends standing there. Veronica backed up a step, and felt herself bump into Logan. Right now she was glad he was there, not just her and the new kid, Wallace.

“Well, look who it is.” Logan smiled. “Y’know be sure to thank your grandma for the great job she did on the silverware last week. She really is a great little worker,” he told Weevil who practically shot daggers from his eyes at the head biker. Everybody knew that his grandmother worked as a cleaning lady for a couple of the rich families in town, but most had the sense not to make jokes about it.

“Yeah, well, she ain’t working for you no more,” Weevil told the rich boy in a none too friendly manner. “I don’t want her around perverts and attempted murderers, y’know what I’m sayin’?” he sneered.

“Really?” Logan replied, forcing a smile over gritted teeth. “That’s funny 'cause she doesn’t seem to mind sharing a house with you,” he answered back smartly and Weevil held back his friend, Felix, who was ready to pound the Echolls boy for his comment.

“Leave it, man, he ain’t worth it,” the head biker sneered.

Veronica glanced between her friend and the bikers whom up to now she’d had little or no dealings with. She would’ve liked to have kept it that way but it seemed impossible. Logan had incurred their wrath by association with his father who had attacked Lilly, and Wallace was not going to be the bikers favourite person at all right now.

“We should go,” she said turning away, but Weevil’s shouting rooted her to the spot and made her turn back.

“Hey, blondie,” he called. “I ain’t done with you and your boys yet,” he told her. “Y’know it was cute you playin’ hero for the kid here, but it wasn’t a smart move.”

“Why?” Veronica challenged, though honestly she was shaking like crazy on the inside, she was not about to show this guy her fear. “You gonna tape me to the flagpole next? 'Cause that’d really make you look manly, attacking a girl.”

“Hey, chill, sweetheart.” Weevil chuckled, holding his hands up in mock surrender against her angry tirade. Logan’s expression looked like thunder.

“She is not your sweetheart,” he pointed out with an angry tone as Wallace tried to disappear behind the two of them.

“Yeah, well, she ain’t yours either,” the biker told him. “In fact, you seem to be havin’ a little trouble holdin’ on to your women, Echolls.” He grinned. “Lilly had to be screwin’ around with other guys, just to keep from gettin’ bored,” he taunted Logan who grew more and more angry. “Tell me somethin’, does she always scream that loud, or should I just take it as a special compliment?”

That was the last straw for Logan who lunged at Weevil, ready to do some serious damage. Wallace was grateful to have apparently been forgotten, but Veronica was less impressed by the fight that might ensue. Throwing herself into the middle of it all she yelled for the pair to stop it, only to be grabbed at by Weevil’s head lackey.

“Get off me, asshole,” she yelled with uncharacteristic abandon, but he held on fast, laughing at her struggles to get away. “You asked for it,” she muttered as she brought an elbow back into his ribs, simultaneously stamping on his foot. As his grip loosened, she twisted around, slamming her hand into his nose and her knee into his groin.

Weevil and Logan let go of each other, turning and staring in shock at Felix cowering on ground, almost in tears, and Veronica standing over him, barely even dishevelled for her troubles.

“Damn, girl!” Weevil looked suitably impressed, as did Wallace, and especially Logan, as two of the biker gang helped Felix up from the ground.

“Geez, Veronica, way to lay down the law.” Lilly laughed as she suddenly appeared on the scene silencing the lackeys for a few minutes it seemed. “I guess you learned that from your Dad, huh?”

“How you doin’, Lilly?” Weevil checked, a little self-consciously which he wasn’t used to, but then he really had fancied himself in love with this chick. Sure, the sex was fun and all, but his feelings for her ran deeper, not that she’d wanted to hear it any time he’d told her. His friends barely knew he’d been seeing her, and now here she was facing him in front of practically the whole school.

“I’m good, as always,” she rolled her eyes. “Better than your friend here, that’s for sure. Way to go, girlfriend,” she said, turning to Veronica who didn’t meet her eyes. “Anyway, I so didn’t expect to see you guys hanging out together,” she continued, gesturing between Weevil and Logan who eyed each other with contempt once again.

“We’re thinking of starting a club,” the rich boy told her sarcastically. “Y’know like, ‘Hi, my name’s Logan and I also got screwed over by Lilly, the bitch, Kane’,” he said, hand raised as if mimicking an AA meeting.

“Yo, cool it man, okay?” Weevil warned just as soon as the word ‘bitch’ left his enemies lips.

“Whatever.” Lilly waved away the comments from either guy, not really caring what anybody said about her anyway.

“Hey, er, should we go?” Wallace asked Veronica, not quite softly enough as Weevil heard him and answered in place of the blonde.

“No, you stay there, shorty,” he told the new boy. “I ain’t done with you or your friend Buffy here.”

“Oh please.” Lilly rolled her eyes a second time as she put herself in front of Weevil and pressed her body close to his. “You’re not going to do anything to Veronica, or her little friend.”

“He got two of my boys picked up by the Sheriff,” he explained to her. “And she messed with my plans to fix it,” he said, pointing first at Wallace then Veronica.

“God, do you always have to come off so Colombian Drug Lord or whatever?” She sighed. “Just, let me fix it, okay? I’ll make sure ‘your boys’ don’t go down, and maybe throw in some other kind of... incentive,” she said, the look in her eye making her meaning so very obvious. “But you leave Veronica and her little friend alone, got it?”

“Yo, Weevil,” Felix got his attention. “You ain’t gonna get beat down by a woman, right, man?”

“You mean like you just were?” He smirked at his friend. “For once in your life do somethin’ sensible Felix, and shut your fat mouth, comprendez?”

“So.” Lilly got his attention back on her. “Do we have a deal?”

“This is making me want to vomit,” Logan declared, tunring to leave but not actually leaving until he’d heard Veronica’s fate.

“You get my boys off the hook.” Weevil nodded. “And these freaks stay the hell out of my way,” he said, casting an eye over Wallace, Veronica, and Logan. “Yeah, I guess we got a deal,” he conceded, knowing Lilly was worth the decision that would be so unpopular with his gang.

Lilly was pretty much his world, and he loved her like he didn’t know he could love anybody. Of course as far as the world at large was concerned, they were in it for nothing more than the sex and the thrill of getting one over on their disapproving families, mostly hers. Only the two of them knew better.

The bikers muttered obscenities at being duped out of a rumble, as the three unlikely friends who would be their targets, turned and walked away. If Lilly was hoping to impress them by getting them out of danger, she certainly hadn’t. Though Veronica and Wallace in particular were grateful not to find themselves in a fight situation, they were less thrilled by the way it had gone down.

Logan looked so hurt by Lilly’s behaviour with Weevil, it almost broke Veronica’s heart to look at him, at least until he caught her staring and forced a bright smile that was so well practised it almost looked completely genuine.

“Gotta say, I’m not sorry that’s all fixed, and without me gettin’ hit too.” Wallace smiled. “For a minute there I thought it was gonna turn into a scene from The Outsiders.”

“Be cool, Sodapop,” Veronica joked. “They wouldn’t do anything in school anyway, and now,” she said, glancing back at Weevil who was still staring at her as Lilly hung off him. “Now I guess they won’t bother you at all.”

“They shouldn’t bother any of us, right?” he asked, not liking the fact that nobody answered him, that neither Veronica or Logan would even look at him. He’d just made friends with the two least popular people in school, it seemed, and whilst he wasn’t thrilled about it, at least he had two friends, that was one more than he’d expected today.

“Look, you don’t have to hang with us if you’re worried about getting a ‘reputation’,” Logan told him, with appropriate air quotes. “We’re just fine on our own,” he said, the edge to his voice mostly because he’d been enjoying alone time with Veronica, only to have that pleasure snatched away all too soon by the new kid.

“It’s cool, man.” Wallace shrugged. “It’s just, I heard all these stories about you guys today,” he said carefully. “Leaves me wonderin’ which parts are rumours and which parts are true.”

“I guess we should tell you what really happened, y’know, if we’re going to be friends or whatever,” said Veronica, sharing a look with Logan who looked decidedly unimpressed, still when the blonde started to tell the tale of what had occurred he didn’t protest. It was good to have any kind of friends right now, even the unpopular new kid, and the peppy PIs daughter.


	8. Mamma Mia

Veronica woke from sleep and hit the snooze button on her clock radio, only to have her father yell for her not to do that very thing.

“Up and at ‘em, sweetheart,” he encouraged her. “Eggs and bacon for two, already getting cold!” he called, making Veronica sit up sharply and frown hard.

‘We don’t ever get fried food for breakfast,’ she thought as she swung her legs out of bed and pulled on her robe.

When Logan had been here the other day, that was like special circumstances, but fried breakfasts on any regular day were simply not permitted. Mom never allowed it, in an attempt to keep both her husband and daughter slim and healthy. Sure, she was away just now, but Dad didn’t usually bend the rules so much...

“What’s wrong?” Veronica asked from the doorway of the kitchen, and Keith wouldn’t look at her as he straightened up the plates and glasses on the table.

“What would be wrong, Veronica?” he checked, but her frown didn’t ease up and she didn’t offer to move and sit down til he paid her proper attention and gave her a real answer to her question. “I... I have a letter here for you,” he said awkwardly, handing it to her.

“Mom?” she said absently as she recognised the hand-writing and tore into the envelope. She was shaking slightly as she pulled out the letter and read it’s contents, tears forming in her eyes as she did so.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” her father apologised, but she barely heard as she took in the words her mother had written to her.

It seemed the little break Lianne Mars had taken was not just that. Her visit to her cousin in Wisconsin was apparently less a vacation and more of a permanent move. Instead of coming back tomorrow, as she’d said, Lianne was staying away, she had left Veronica and Keith, and she seemed to think it was for the best.

“Why?” the little blonde shook her head, sending tears cascading down her cheeks. “Why would she leave us?”

“I can’t believe she did this in a letter.” Keith sighed, as he sat down at the table and encouraged his daughter into the seat beside him. “Veronica, you know your mom and I have been having some problems lately. We tried to hide it from you but I know you’re smarter than that.”

“I know you were fighting more.” His little girl, who suddenly looked so very young and lost, nodded her head. “I even tried to talk to Mom about it, about her drinking, but she just got mad at me.”

“This isn’t your fault, honey,” Keith assured her. “I promise you. Honestly, it’s nobody’s fault, not really. Things just got strained, with my job and... and other stuff that shouldn’t’ve mattered,” he said cryptically, though Veronica was taking little notice right now as she re-read her mother’s letter and cried.

She didn’t want to come from a broken home, she wanted her life back how it was, with two parents and a best friend who wasn’t a liar, a cheat, and a bitch. Things had changed so much within the past week, and it was making Veronica’s head spin. She wasn’t sure she knew how to cope with all this, despite the fact she knew things could be so much worse. Lilly could be dead by now, that would be worse. Veronica could have no-one left at all, but as it was she had Logan and the new boy, Wallace. Things could be so much worse, she kept telling herself, but it didn’t stop the tears.

Keith hugged his daughter to him, internally cursing his wife. She wasn’t like this before, little Lianne who he’d fallen in love with, married, and made a child with. She wasn’t a drunk, she wasn’t bitter and twisted as she had become now. The woman he’d married wouldn’t run away from her problems like this. She wouldn’t abandon him or their daughter.

“She says she’s leaving because she loves me,” Veronica cried, repeating the words she’d read in her mother’s letter. “That doesn’t even make sense. If she loved me she wouldn’t want to leave. Does she even know what happened here?” she asked her father who nodded his head.

“I told her about it,” Keith admitted. “I hoped she’d at least come back to talk to you face-to-face but...” He shook his head in the negative. “She said she was trying not to add to the scandal or cause more problems.”

Veronica frowned, not understanding how her mother coming home, even to tell her that her parents were breaking up, would have any effect on the tangled mess that now existed between the Echolls, the Kanes, and herself.

“Are you going to be okay, sweetheart?” her father checked. “I know this is a lot to take in, honestly I’m not even processing it that well and I kinda saw it coming.”

“I’ll be okay,” his daughter promised with a forced smile. “I guess, deep down, I wondered if this might happen some day. I just really hoped it wouldn’t,” said Veronica, her voice cracking as tears overcame her once again.

* * *

Logan couldn’t shift the grin off his face as he drove towards the Mars house to pick up Veronica and take her to school. For just over a week now he had been making this trip daily, the first time because she was the only person he really had to turn to, and now, just because he really liked it.

Veronica and Logan had become almost like best friends this past week, though at school they spent time with the new kid, Wallace Fennell, as well as each other. Logan didn’t mind the other boy so much, he was pretty cool, but it was his alone time with Veronica he enjoyed most, and the one time that was always guaranteed was on the drive to school.

Most of the time they didn’t talk about anything deep or meaningful. It was easier to avoid topics like the Kanes, or their parents, most of the time. In fact, talking between them usually consisted of playful banter, a kind of half-hearted, friendly bickering, and when they didn’t feel like talking at all they’d sing along to the radio or just watch the world go by as they travelled to school each day.

This morning Logan was a little surprised and worried when the girl who responded to his knocking on the front door of the Mars house was not the smiling happy blonde he was used to, but a much more sad and sullen version of the same girl.

“Hey,” he said as he looked at her, trying to see her face which she was doing her best to hide since it was streaked with tear stains still. “Veronica, are you okay?” he checked.

“I’m fine,” she snapped a little too harshly as she pushed past him and headed towards the car. “Can we please just go?” she urged him and Logan didn’t argue, though he was far from happy with this situation.

They got in the car and he pulled off the drive in silence, only the radio made any sound and even that began to annoy the boy who always liked the music to be blaring on a regular day.

“Okay,” he said to himself as they stopped at a red light and he clicked the radio off. “Something isn’t right here,” he declared as Veronica spared him a brief glance. “So either I did something stupid since yesterday, like in my sleep or something that I’m not aware of,” he said thoughtfully, “or something happened to you that you’re not sharing.”

“I don’t have to tell you everything, Logan,” Veronica snapped once again, hating herself for having done so just a second later.

It wasn’t Logan’s fault that her Mom had upped and left. It wasn’t his fault Lianne was a drunk or a less nice person that she used to be. He wasn’t in control of how much Veronica felt the need to cry, and it wasn’t as if he was doing anything wrong in asking her what the problem was, in fact he was clearly trying to do the right thing, be a good friend and all. They really only had each other, and Wallace, she ought to be grateful he was concerned about her, so why was she being so mean?

“I’m real sorry, Veronica,” Logan said icily, putting the car into gear and moving through the now green light. “I just had this crazy idea that you and I were maybe friends now. Can’t imagine how that happened,” he said with a nasty edge to his voice that upset Veronica even more, not because he was being less than pleasant but because she knew it was her own fault.

“We are friends, Logan,” she told him. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to snap at you. In some ways, you’ve been more of a friend to me this past week than Lilly was in the whole time we were best friends,” she admitted, melting Logan just a little and causing a ghost of a smile to play around his lips.

It was nice to know he really meant something to somebody like that, that he could be this great friend and just what Veronica needed. As much as he needed people, he wanted to be needed to, he wanted to be loved, he wanted somebody to want him to be around. His father never had, his mother was often too drunk to notice him, though he couldn’t blame her for that, given all she’d had to live through with Aaron.

“So, is it like twenty questions?” Logan smirked. “Am I supposed to ask if your problem is animal, vegetable, or mineral?” he joked, glancing sideways at Veronica as they turned a corner into the road that led to Neptune High.

“It’s my mom,” she admitted, in a quiet little voice that Logan hadn’t heard her use in years.

Little Veronica Mars was still pretty shy and quiet when he first knew her, but as she’d grown up and spent increasing amounts of time around himself and Lilly, she’d come out of her shell more. The little girl tone had faded as the strong young woman beneath shone through. Now she was back to her childish voice and Logan wondered what awful thing must’ve happened to Veronica, and apparently her mother, in order for her to make this transformation back to her old self.

“What happened?” he urged her to explain, wishing he wasn’t driving right now so he could actually pay her proper attention.

“She left us,” she said softly. “Her vacation wasn’t so much a vacation, more a permanent leaving of us.”

“Wow, I’m sorry,” said Logan sincerely as he pulled the car into the school lot and parked up in his usual space. “Really, Veronica, I am,” he assured her as he shut off the engine and turned to face her.

“It’s okay.” She forced a weak smile.

Veronica was desperate not to cry here, not in school, not in front of Logan. There had been too much of that lately, far too much. Still, the tears were too many and welled up so fast there was just no way to stop them escaping and they trickled down her cheeks before she had chance to prevent it happening.

“Come here,” Logan said softly as he pulled her to him and she cried on his shoulder.

This kind of thing seemed to happen a lot lately, though it hadn’t fully occurred to the two of them what they were doing the day of the dreaded incident when Aaron had almost killed Lilly, and the truth of their affair had been revealed. The crying, and hugging, and leaning on each other, Veronica and Logan had done that without a thought. Now the blonde’s head was spinning as she found herself being held in Logan’s arms, in the centre of the school parking lot. Surely there was something wrong with this picture, and yet she was glad of the comfort and understanding.

“I’m so sick of crying,” she admitted, when she pulled away a moment later, the two of them still incredibly close together in the confines of the car.

“Don’t worry about it,” Logan told her as he wiped a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb. “You’re not the only one,” he told her, the look in his eyes telling her that on more than one occasion he had broken down too, albeit in private and away from prying eyes.

There was an intense moment that passed between them then, something almost electric as they sat their in Logan’s car, eyes locked, arms around each other, his hand at her cheek still. Veronica was just thinking that if she didn’t let out the breath she was holding soon she was going to pass out when suddenly the beautiful moment was shattered.

“Hey guys!” Wallace called as he came bounding over to the car. “What’s up?” he asked as Veronica and Logan found their attention being stolen form each other at last.

Though both were attempting smiles as they exited the car and walked towards the school building with their other friends, neither were really so happy, and for more than one reason. Perhaps what got to them most was the fact their little moment there had been broken, leaving the pair of them wondering what might have happened if it had not.


	9. Life On Mars

“Veronica! Veronica!” Wallace fought to get his friend’s attention as she stood leaning on her locker and staring off into space. “Yo, Earth to Mars!” he joked and she rolled her eyes as she came back to reality.

“Yeah, 'cause nobody ever used that one before,” she told him as they began walking down the hall towards their next class.

“You were in a whole other galaxy, girl,” Wallace told her. “You wanna talk about anything? 'Cause y’know I’m here for you, just as much as your boy Logan.”

“I know,” Veronica smiled, fairly certain there was no jealousy meant in what he said.

Wallace and Logan were so completely different, and yet both had been good friends to her lately, when others would barely glance her way. That had improved a little over the past few days, but Veronica was fairly certain that was down to Lilly’s guilt. She felt at least a little bad that her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend were being shunned for no good reason, and she’d been telling the Neptune High populous at large to smile and say ‘hi’ when they saw them in the halls. It was about all Veronica ever did get mind you of those she once classed as friends or at the very least people that didn’t hate her.

The reasons she’d zoned out on Wallace, (and in English class, and in front of the mirror in the bathroom, etc.) were two fold. First there was her mother, Lianne Mars, who had left for a vacation a week ago and had since sent a letter to say she wasn’t coming back at all. Veronica was less than thrilled to note she now came from a, for want of a better term, ‘broken home’. It was great that she still had her father, of her two parents he was without doubt the more reliable, and yet, for all her faults, Lianne was still Veronica’s mother, and she already missed her.

The second thing that was playing on Veronica’s mind was Logan. The young Mr Echolls had been a good friend lately, as they leaned on each other, and banded together against a common foe. Though Duncan had no real quarrel with Logan that Veronica could see, the two barely talked lately and many of his other friends were too busy chasing Lilly who had proved herself to be as ‘Nice and Easy’ as the brand of hair colour she sometimes used suggested. Veronica didn’t think for a moment that Logan only spent time with her because he had no-one else, though in the beginning she suspected that’s why they had both clung to each other, along with the new boy, Wallace, who hadn’t been given the chance to make any new friends before Weevil and his biker gang had humiliated him in front of the whole school.

Things were changing, and that was what made Veronica float off on a cloud of too much thought, regarding Logan and the strange friendship that had developed between them. This morning he’d seemed quite offended that she wouldn’t share her problems with him, and then when she’d cried he’d been overly eager to hold her in the car, to comfort her and tell her everything would be okay. It hadn’t felt so strange that first time, the night when Aaron had almost killed Lilly, and if not for Veronica may have done just that. She and Logan had only had each other then, and both had been in so much pain the comfort that they found in each other was just natural. Now they were back in school, and things were settling down to something that resembled a semi-normal state, it felt a little weird to have him be that way with her and vice versa.

What bothered Veronica more than the weirdness factor was the fact she didn’t really mind. She couldn’t find a part of her that cared enough to put a stop to anything that might be developing between herself and Logan. What that really meant, she dare not contemplate. Surely she didn’t have real feelings for...

“Hey,” a voice behind her and a hand on her shoulder made Veronica jump violently and spinning around to find him behind her did little to calm her down.

“Logan,” she said, looking stunned by the sight of him despite the fact this was a school that they both attended and they were in the same class this period.

“Veronica, are you okay?” he checked. “You look like you saw a ghost or-”

“No,” she said quickly. “No, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

As she hurried into the classroom, Wallace and Logan followed behind, sharing a dubious look. Veronica Mars was far from fine, both of them could see that, in fact anybody with eyes could.

* * *

“So anyway, I was like totally-” Lilly paused in what she was saying as Veronica entered the girls bathroom.

The Kane’s daughter was currently sat between the sinks, swinging her legs like a little kid as she told stories to some of her adoring fans that surrounded her, namely Madison Sinclair, Shelley Pomroy, and Meg Manning. The first two shot Veronica nasty looks, whilst the latter managed at least half a smile. Lilly grinned like a Cheshire Cat at the girl she used to be able to call her best friend.

“Hey, V, what’s up?” she greeted the other blonde who was less than impressed.

“I’m sure you and your... friends know better than I do,” Veronica said haughtily, turning to leave just as quickly as she’d come in.

“Wait a sec,” Lilly urged her and in spite of her own better judgement, Veronica did just that. “We were just talking about Shelley’s birthday party, it’s this Saturday,” she explained as she hopped down from her spot between the sinks and strutted over to her. “You’re coming along, right?”

“Something tells me maybe I’m not invited,” her old friend replied, as she looked over at Shelley who was glaring at her still.

“Oh, come on.” Lilly rolled her eyes, slinging an arm around Veronica’s shoulders which the other girl quickly dislodged. “Whatever, Shelley totally wants you to come to the party, we all do. Right, girls?” she asked the trio stood behind her.

“Sure, you should totally be there, Veronica,” Meg told her, looking completely honest about it to. “What reason do you have to stay away?”

“Yeah, what reason, V?” Madison asked with a smirk, emphasising the name that only Lilly ever got away with using for the PI’s daughter. The look in her eyes told Veronica she didn’t mean to be friendly like Meg did, she was insinuating there was a good reason for her to stay away from the parties that the cool kids went to.

“Be careful near those sinks girls,” she told them as she turned towards the door. “Water and witches never leads to any good.” She smirked as she slammed out of the bathroom at last, leaving three stunned and pissed off girls in her wake, and one rich blonde who was prestigiously proud of the best friend she had lost. It seemed she’d finally learnt to have some balls about her, it was just a shame they had to stop being friends for a while to make it happen.

* * *

“Veronica!” she stopped walking halfway to the lunch area when she heard her name. If she could just have reached the safety of her table where Logan and Wallace sat waiting for her then everything would be fine, but no, that voice had to be the one to call her name and she inwardly winced at having to talk to him right now.

“Duncan,” she greeted him similarly as she turned around and he ran up to her. “What’s up?” she said in her best fake-casual.

“Er, nothing,” her ex told her. “I just, er, I... I was wondering if you were okay?” he said eventually, and Veronica frowned.

“Am I okay?” she echoed. “You ran over here to ask me if I’m okay?” she checked voice rising as incredulity set it. “Well, let’s see now Duncan, am I okay? My boyfriend dumped me without a word, my best friend who’s life I pretty much saved is being so damn fine about it I just can’t stand to talk to her, and oh yeah, this morning I found out my Mom had left my Dad and they’re probably getting divorced sometime soon,” she counted off on her fingers, laughing almost maniacally when she was done. “So if that sounds like I’m okay, Duncan, then yes, I’m fine and dandy,” she told him, every word dripping with sarcasm. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I still have two friends left and I’d like to eat lunch with them before they decide I’m the devil spawn too,” Veronica told him, walking away both a little angry but also quite proud of herself. She didn’t need this crap not from him, not today.

Duncan watched his ex-girlfriend walk away and felt awful. He’d checked on her because this morning he’d seen her crying in Logan’s arms. If she was going to comforted he ought to be the one to do it, the young Kane had thought, although he knew quite well why he shouldn’t. As it was it seemed Veronica wouldn’t want his help these days anyway. He’d hurt her, and then Lilly had made a fool of her. Was it really any wonder the poor girl wanted no more to do with the Kane family... even if she was perhaps a member of it?

* * *

“Good luck, man,” Logan was saying to Wallace, complete with one of those complex boys handshakes that Veronica would never understand, as she approached the lunch table and sat down.

“Do I give off like a radar signal that makes people want to run from me?” she asked in apparent bewilderment as Wallace backed away from the table.

“No way, girl,” he assured her, continuing to walk away, albeit with his back facing the direction in which he was travelling, “but I got some place to be just now, wish me luck.”

“Good luck?” Veronica called behind him, feeling confused. “What am I wishing him luck for?” she asked Logan, who appeared to be having trouble with the not grinning.

“Our newest little ‘homeboy’ is trying out for the basketball team,” he told her, opening up the pizza box between them. “Which means lunch is just going to be you and me today,” he said, looking strangely pleased about that.

An odd feeling ran through Veronica then, a peculiar mixture of two conflicting emotions that almost put her right off the slice of pizza that had found it’s way into her hand. Her and Logan, alone for the next hour, surely that wasn’t so bad, in fact it could be great, or it could be a disaster. The up-and-down feelings she was having must have showed on her face as she tried to figure them out.

“Y’know you keep thinking that hard you’re gonna hurt yourself,” Logan told her and her pensive look broke into an apologetic smile as she glanced his way.

“I think it’d have to be a pretty small brain capacity for that to actually happen,” Veronica told him, smile turning into a smirk as she added. “How do you cope with that?”

“Ooh,” Logan gasped, his hands going to his chest as he leaned back half off his seat, miming at being shot through the heart. “That hurts, Veronica,” he told her, though they both raised a smile at the joke. “Maybe now I shouldn’t ask you to the party after all, what with me being like an ape-brain or whatever.”

“Shelley Pomroy’s party?” she checked, feeling weird, although it wouldn’t be that strange for herself and Logan to show up to a party together, it was just that usually they’d be with Lilly and Duncan too, as two separate couples, and much less together.

“Yes, Shelley’s party,” her friend confirmed with a nod. “I dunno, I just thought you were pretty down today, and maybe we could both use a little cheering up,” he suggested. “So what do you say, Veronica? You and me? Friday night? Raising the roof?” he added with a smirk, miming said action and finally making her smile once again after too many long seconds of semi-frown.

“I don’t know, Logan.” She sighed. “I mean, you and me going to a party together?”

“As friends,” he said quickly. “Obviously.”

“Oh yeah, obviously,” she agreed, though honestly part of her had kind of been hoping he meant a real date, whilst another part of was relieved to know he hadn’t.

“So we party?” Logan checked, since it seemed so far he had received neither a definitive yes or no. “Come on, Ronnie, live a little,” he urged her. “It’s not like either of us have a reason to stay away. What do we have to be ashamed of?”

Veronica gave his question but a moments consideration, it was all it really needed. After all, they really had nothing at all to reproach themselves for. Lilly had cheated on Logan and been a bitch about everything, so much so she’d alienated Veronica. Duncan had dumped the blonde, not the other way around, and the school had tried to turn it’s back on two formerly-loved students only because it seemed that’s what the Kanes were trying to do.

“Nothing,” she replied a moment later. “We have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of,” she said firmly.

“So?” Logan prompted for a definite answer on the party situation.

“So, we party,” Veronica told him with a smile, loving the grin that appeared on his face at the sound of her positive response. Still, she had to admit, it worried her a little too. It was going to look like a date, and feel like a date, despite the ‘as friends’ get out clause.

‘Oh boy,’ Veronica thought to herself. ‘What have I gotten myself into?’


	10. Saturday Night Special

“What am I doing?” Veronica asked herself as she stood before the full length mirror in her room, wearing the fifth outfit of ten she’d laid out on her bed.

Tonight was the night of Shelley Pomroy’s Birthday party, an event that Veronica had attended last year along with her boyfriend, Duncan. This year was completely different, she had no boyfriend, her best friend no longer held that title, and pretty much everybody else who had been invited to the special birthday bash would not be thrilled to see Veronica there, especially since her ‘date’ was Logan, Lilly’s ex.

Slipping out of the blouse and skirt she was wearing, Veronica looked down at the various items of clothing strewn across her bed. It never used to be so difficult to choose an outfit, but then she’d always had Lilly there before to help her out. She couldn’t ask Logan, that would be too weird, and even if she could get past the weirdness factor of asking a boy for fashion advice, Wallace wasn’t available. She had hoped he’d attend the party with herself and Logan, and kind of act as buffer and chaperone to their non-date, but unfortunately he had a prior engagement, a family thing he couldn’t get out of.

“This should not be so complicated,” Veronica told herself sternly, as she sorted through the pile of clothes once again.

The dress she’d originally bought just especially for this occasion lie underneath all the other possible outfits. The white flowing garment that showed off her shoulders and a good amount of her legs without being slutty at all had cost her more than she would usually spend on such an item, but she’d fallen in love with it the moment she’d spotted it in the store.

When she’d got it home she still loved it, but the moment she slipped into it tonight and faced her own reflection she lost her nerve. She couldn’t wear it to the party, on her non-date with Logan. What if he got ideas that she wanted him in a different way to a friend? What if Lilly or Duncan or the other guests at the party thought the same? What if...?

“Hey, sweetheart,” her dad called to her, tapping on the bedroom door. “Logan will be here any minute, you almost ready?” he checked.

It was unlike Veronica to be late for anything, or for her to spend so long in the bathroom and then deliberating over an outfit. He had passed by her door twice in the past half hour and heard her arguing with herself about various items of clothing, which confused him since he knew she’d bought a specific dress for tonight.

“I’m almost ready, Dad,” she called to him. “Won’t be long.”

“Honestly, I’ll never understand you women.” He sighed, still speaking loud enough for her to hear. “Buy a fabulous dress that makes you look gorgeous and still worry about what to wear,” he said with a smirk she couldn’t see. “Must be tough knowing how jealous all the other girls will get when they see you...” he said as he walked away from the door, a smile on his face because he knew what he’d done.

Inside her room, Veronica picked up her new dress from the bed, held it in front of her and looked herself over in the mirror. She smiled at her reflection, realising she really did look good, and whilst she was fairly certain she’d be falling for some plan her father had by wearing this dress, she knew now she wanted to do it anyway. Maybe the other girls would make comments and pass judgement on her tonight, for her outfit, and for arriving on Logan Echolls’ arm, and so the question became, did she care?

“We have nothing to be ashamed of,” she repeated words she and Logan had spoken a few days ago when they arranged this date, not that it was a date, but whatever.

With renewed confidence in herself, and what she was doing, Veronica slipped into her dress and hurried to fix her hair and make-up before her friend arrived. She was just fastening the straps of her shoes when she heard a knock on the front door...

* * *

Logan felt a little strange as he stood outside the Mars house, preparing to knock on the door. A strange mixture of feelings were rushing around inside him, none of which he was really used to. He’d been dating Lilly so long, he hadn’t had been in a ‘first date’ situation in years, not that this thing with Veronica really counted as a date, after all he’d thrown that ‘just friends’ clause in there. That should make everything less awkward, but it really didn’t for Logan. He was starting to realise that his feelings for Veronica didn’t so much tend in a friendly way, or rather in a much more friendly way than perhaps they ought to.

“Okay, that’s crazy,” Logan noted as he lifted his hand to knock on the door and noticed he was shaking.

When he eventually knocked and Keith came to answer, he was at least glad to find the older man both smiling and unarmed.

“Good evening, Sheriff.” Logan nodded once as he was let into the house. “Is Veronica ready?”

“I’ll go check,” said Keith, going towards his daughter's bedroom and calling to her. “Honey, your date is here,” he said with a smirk, knowing how he was embarrassing the both of them, after all Veronica had repeatedly pressed home the point that this evening’s outing to the party was in no way a date, just two friends going out together.

With a look like thunder at her father, Veronica finally emerged from her room, pushing her hair over her shoulder and checking her dress as she did so.

“Wow,” was Logan’s initial reaction at the sight of her, causing both of them to blush as she took in his reaction, and he realised what he’d said.

“Well, you kids have fun,” Keith told them. “But y’know, not too much fun,” he told Logan with a stern look that he was pretty much faking.

“Dad!” Veronica complained as she passed by him and took the arm Logan offered her.

The way he stared at her all the way to the car made her somewhat uneasy, but in a good way, if such a thing were possible. He was obviously impressed, the way his mouth dropped open like a cartoon was enough to tell her that, and it gave her a warm feeling inside to think she had both impressed and surprised him.

“Anybody would think you never saw me in a dress before,” she said shyly as she climbed into the car and Logan closed the door for her.

“Maybe I saw you, but I didn’t really look before,” he told her as he did just that, before finally moving around the car and climbing in beside her. “So, Miss Mars, are we ready to party?”

“Totally ready,” she assured him.

Though she was still a little nervous about the whole situation, Logan was really helping. The way he looked at her, and smiled at her, and complimented her too. It was like a real date, even though they both knew it was not that, and shouldn’t be either. They had this great friendship developing between them. If anything happened between them in a more than friends way it’d just screw everything up, besides it wasn’t such a long time since they were dating a Kane, both of which would doubtless be at the party when they arrived.

Again Veronica wondered what on Earth she’d gotten herself into as they cruised down the street towards the Pomroy residence.

* * *

“Sounds like they started without us,” Logan joked as he parked his car alongside all the others, the sounds of laughter, whooping and calling as well as pounding music assaulting their ears already.

“Oh good, everyone’s already here,” Veronica dead-panned. “I really wanted to make a big entrance and give them all something to talk about,” she said sarcastically as Logan practically leapt from his side of the car and ran around to open her door for her.

It was weird but he always did that for her, Veronica hadn’t ever really thought about it, but it was pretty gentlemanly really.

“Well, y’know, we could really give them something to talk about,” he suggested, an eye-brow raised and a twinkle in his eye that was almost as scary as it was exciting.

“What did you have in mind?” Veronica asked suspiciously, suddenly a little wary.

Without a word he held out his hand to her and she looked at it a moment before placing her own in it. Logan’s fingers wrapped tightly around hers and they walked towards the house, him practically pulling her along and in through the front door that had been left open.

“Greetings, fellow pirates!” Logan was grinning as he and Veronica moved through the building, the two of them watching mouth after mouth fall open.

People were stunned to see them arrive together, despite the fact the pair had been hanging out at school a lot lately. Veronica guessed they assumed she and Logan only stuck together there because they had no-one else and that in the real world they’d just sit at home alone or something. The little blonde was quite proud of herself for not having stayed home tonight, and quite grateful to Logan for not letting it happen to either of them.

“Hey, Veronica,” he called her name a second time and she looked a little startled when she faced him and realised he’d been speaking to her. “Am I boring you already?” he checked as she zoned back into reality and realised they’d just passed through the glass doors out onto the patio that led to the pool where many young people were drinking, dancing, swimming, and making out.

“No, of course not,” she promised him. “I just... I’m glad we came here.” Veronica smiled up at him.

Honestly, Logan had never been so happy to be at a party in his life. As they stood there opposite each other, their eyes locking, both felt the almost magnetic pull that was forcing them closer together. Of course, as luck would have it, or not as the case maybe, certain members of the Neptune High alumni were not opposed to breaking moments between would-be couples, especially when they were a little worse for wear from the alcohol already.

“Yo, Logan!” Dick boomed from the other side of the pool, practically running around to his friend. “What’s up, dude?” he asked the boy that had once been his best friend, but was somewhat estranged from these days.

“Hey there, Dick,” said Logan as his friends hand landed on his shoulder, almost pushing him into Veronica.

It seemed the young Mr Casablancas wasn’t holding his drink so well and therefore was not in full control of his body weight.

“Dude, how come we never hang out anymore?” he complained, slurring a little in his drunken state, “and how come you brought Ronnie to the party?”

“Y’know Dick, if I’d known you felt this way...” he said with faux-sadness, “but hey, y’know, there’s still Prom, nobody asked me to that yet, I’m sure we’d have a blast,” he joked, and Veronica giggled at the humour, glad that so far at least tonight wasn’t a disaster.

It was a relief, she realised, that Logan hadn’t felt the need to defend himself over bringing her to the party. He didn’t see he’d committed any crime, which of course he hadn’t, though she was fairly certain her fellow students of Neptune High would think so.

“Y’know man, you’re... you were my, my best friend and...” Dick’s speech finally failed him completey, as did his legs and he collapsed in a heap on the floor in front of Logan and Veronica.

“Finally,” a female voice huffed as heels clattered on the patio and Madison Sinclair, Dick’s other half, appeared beside them.

“I guess he started the party a little early, huh, Maddy?” Logan asked her, using the name for her that he knew she abhorred.

“He’s not drunk,” she said haughtily. “At least, not entirely. I found this in my locker,” she said, pulling a piece of paper from her purse and handing it to him.

The short scribbled note explained simply that Dick had GHB and that he planned to use it on Madison at this very party in order to have sex with her.

“I switched drinks when he wasn’t paying attention,” she explained. “He was so busy being the big man, he barely notice what he was drinking until the cup was empty.” She rolled her eyes.

“Are you just gonna leave him here or...?” Veronica started to ask, only to be interrupted.

“Duh!” Madison snapped. “Like I would,” she protested. “I’m going to take him back to his house, dump him on the doorstep for his parents to find, and head on back to the party. Why should my evening be ruined just because Dick Casablancas is a jerk?” she asked rhetorically, gesturing for two of her so-called-boyfriend’s more able bodied friends to carry the passed-out blond to the car, as Veronica and Logan looked on.

“Some classy party, huh?” she said with appropriate eye roll, but he wasn’t entirely listening as he looked over the piece of paper that was still in his hands.

“Y’know it’s the weirdest thing,” said Logan as he reached into his back pocket and produced his wallet. “I think I’ve seen this handwriting somewhere before.” He smirked, comparing the style of the words on Madison’s mystery tip-off note to those on a similar piece of paper that bore the writing of his good friend. “Veronica Mars,” he said, looking down on her with a mock-glare. “And how exactly did you know Dick was going to use that stuff on Madison tonight?”

“I hear things.” She shrugged. “And as much I don’t particularly like Madison, nobody deserves to be drugged and used like that.” She shuddered at the very idea of that kind of thing happening to anyone.

“You are just amazing,” Logan told her suddenly, making her blush.

She really hadn’t been expecting him to say that and from the way he glanced away so quick the moment the words had left his lips, Veronica wondered if he’d really meant to voice that particular thought at all.

“So, drink?” he said just as suddenly as he turned to what appeared to be the bar area, flinging an arm around Veronica’s shoulders and leading her that way.

It felt good, she realised with a smile, and she barely noticed anybody staring or making comments, she honestly wasn’t aware of whether they were doing it or not, she was just really glad she’d decided to come to the party, and even more glad she’d come as Logan’s non-date.


	11. Dance The Night Away

“So, how is it for you so far?” Logan asked Veronica as they sat together on two garden chairs, not far from the pool, a drink each in their hands.

“It’s actually pretty good.” The blonde nodded, as she looked around, laughing as she saw others having fun, dunking each other in the water. “Or at least it was,” the smile slid from her face as she saw Lilly arrive at the party.

Logan followed her eyeline and hated that he spotted his ex. He’d kind of hoped she wouldn’t attend this party, and yet he’d known she obviously would. Madison was one of Lilly’s clique, and there was no way she’d be a no-show tonight, unless Jake and Celeste physically locked her up, and he doubted they’d bother even trying. Grounding wouldn’t change Lilly, a near-death experience hadn’t. Logan honestly wondered if anything ever would.

“Veronica!” Lilly suddenly squealed, hurrying towards them, apparently not noticing that neither her old friend or ex looked at all glad to see her. “Wow, look at you. Liking the dress,” she said as she looked Veronica over, the blonde just glanced away since she was neither bothered by her ex-best-friends opinion of her outfit, or wishing to look at how slutty Lilly was dressed right now.

“So what’s the deal, Lil?” Logan asked her, catching her attention. “You stop by on your way to audition at Pole Dancers R Us?”

“Yeah, actually I was hoping you could give me directions, since you go there so much,” she replied with faux-innocence.

Logan just faked a laugh and walked away, shooting an apologetic look at Veronica when she made to follow him and was stopped by Lilly taking his seat.

“So, you guys are getting pretty close, huh?” she began asking, but Veronica just turned away.

“Y’know what, Lilly? That’s none of your business,” she told her, getting angry. “It stopped being your business when we stopped being friends, and in case you forgot that happened when I found out what a bitch you really are,” she said, slamming her drink down on the nearby table as she got to her feet and stormed away.

“Well, you did say the reception might be a little frosty with her,” Lilly’s new guy smirked as he came to stand before her.

“Frosty,” she echoed. “Any colder and I’d have icicles hanging off me.” She rolled her eyes. “But whatever, I’m actually kinda proud of her.” Lilly shrugged as she got back to her feet and wrapped her arms around Weevil’s neck. “It’s good to know she got some balls lately, and besides I am a bitch.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” her boyfriend agreed as they kissed, catching the attention of the last few 09ers that hadn’t quite noticed the leather-clad biker in the centre of their party. “So, now you talked to Little Miss Priss, can we split?” he asked her. “I’m kinda standing out like, well, a Mexican at a white chick’s party.” He smirked.

“Me? Leave a party before I have to?” Lily gasped. “Not a chance in hell,” she said dramatically, grabbing Veronica’s abandoned Coke and taking a gulp. “Eeew, this needs vodka!”

* * *

“I’m sorry,” Logan apologised immediately that Veronica caught up with him, and they both watched from the other side of the patio as Lilly made an exhibition of herself with a drink in one hand, her other arm wrapped around Weevil’s neck.

“It’s okay,” Veronica assured him. “It has to be tougher for you than me. She was my best friend, but you loved her, and the way she cheated on you... I can’t understand how she ever got so twisted,” she said, for lack of a better word.

“Lilly has always been Lilly.” Logan half-smiled, shaking his head. “I think maybe we changed, got less tolerant of her crappy attitude.”

“Maybe,” Veronica agreed as silence fell over their particular corner of the party. “This sucks,” she said suddenly, and with such volume and conviction that Logan almost dropped his drink. “We were having a really great time before Lilly and El Dirtbag showed up,” she told her friend. “Why should that change?”

“Er, maybe because my ex is here with a sleaze and...” he changed what he was going to say as he spotted something that made much more of a difference than his previous sentence, “and your ex just showed up with Princess Barbie,” he finished, pointing in the general direction of Duncan, who had just taken a seat pool-side with Meg Manning.

Veronica was a little surprised. Despite having dumped her some time ago, Duncan hadn’t been seen out in public, or anywhere for that matter, with another girl. It was one thing Veronica was grateful to him for, that he hadn’t rubbed her face in the fact he could easily get another girlfriend. Duncan had some decency left in him it seemed, despite the disgusting way in which he had dumped Veronica by simply stopping seeing her.

“I am so sick of the Kanes running my life,” she said suddenly getting to her feet, grabbing Logan’s hand as she did so and dragging him up with her.

“Is this the part where you use me physically to get over Duncan?” Logan asked, with a wicked smirk and glint in his eye.

“You wish,” she shot back at him, wondering if he’d really meant that as a pure joke or not, and knowing deep down that getting that close to Logan seemed far from a repulsive idea, though she wouldn’t be doing it because of Duncan at all - that ship had sailed.

“So, what are we doing?” Logan wanted to know as he was pulled towards the bar.

“I lost my drink,” she explained. “So I’m going to get another one, and then we’re going to dance, and laugh, and have fun at this party, even if it kills us both,” she told Logan firmly.

He smirked at her sudden bout of determination to have a good time, in spite of the fates conspiring against them. It was just one more thing to add to the list of stuff that made Veronica Mars so amazing to him. The more time they spent together the more he realised just how much he was really starting to like her in a way that went far beyond the bounds of friendship.

* * *

“Come on, don’t flake on me now, Mars,” Logan complained as she gave up dancing with him and tripped over to an abandoned sun-lounger to sit down for a minute.

“I’m too tired for more dancing,” she told him, though honestly that was only half the reason she’d chosen this particular moment to sit.

The tempo of the music in this latest mix and slowed considerably, and Veronica wasn’t sure she could handle a slow dance with Logan yet. She’d had a couple of mildly alcoholic drinks amongst several of the soft variety, but she was slightly unsteady and giggly and didn’t trust herself to be held in has arms right now.

She was feeling things that she really never expected to for her ex-best friend’s ex-boyfriend. The problem was, they were pretty much all that each other had right now. Moving from friendship to something more, Veronica and Logan were gambling what was between them, and could easily end up being even more alone than they already were. The temptation could not be worth the risk.

“I guess we kinda danced the night away enough,” Logan agreed with a sigh as he sat down beside her, noticing as she had now, the change in music style and tempo.

Slow dancing with Veronica was not something he’d experienced before and whilst he quite liked the idea of it, he knew deep down it was a bad idea. It was clear she wasn’t willing from her sudden need to not be dancing, plus it would only ruin their friendship in the long run, and Logan couldn’t bear that.

“Meg, over here!” Lilly yelled, catching the attention of half the party. “Bring Donut too, it’s time for Truth or Dare!” she declared with a flamboyant gesture, from her position in Weevil’s lap.

“Oh, great.” Meg sighed as she and Duncan passed by Veronica and Logan, not looking overly impressed at the invitation. “I don’t suppose you two want to join us, spread out the odds a little?” she asked the pair.

Duncan looked at Veronica with a decidedly uncomfortable expression before glancing away. Most of her secrets, sexy or otherwise, involved him. He’d been her first and only serious boyfriend after all.

“Hmm, Truth or Dare with my ex and her new boyfriend,” said Logan raising one hand in front of him, the other to follow as he continued, weighing up options as if on scales, “or staying here and avoiding the whole bitching thing by talking to the one person with a brain at this party? It’s a stumper.” He shook his head.

“C’mon, Meg.” Duncan pulled his date by the hand, and she shot Veronica a half-smile as they walked away.

“Wow.” The blonde turned to Logan. “You seem to have acquired this very weird habit of complimenting me tonight, Mr Echolls,” she said with a smirk, finding that she could manage to cover her embarrassment at his praise quite well by making a semi-joke about it.

“If it annoys you, I can stop.” He smirked back at her. “I do a good line in spoilt rich kid, but I think we’ve all had enough of that one for a while,” he said with a wry smile as Lilly decided to make her presence known once again.

“Hey guys, c’mon!” she yelled to them. “Don’t be chickens, it’s just a game,” she urged them.

“Did she just imply that we’re chicken?” Veronica asked Logan, with semi-faked shock.

“I thought she did, but I can hardly believe she’d dare,” he said, with similar expression. “Oh no, wait, I can,” he suddenly changed expression and tone, making them both smile.

“Well, never let it be said Veronica Mars can’t rise to any given challenge,” she said, lifting her chin and holding her hand out for Logan to take. “I’m game, you with me?”

“All the way.” He nodded with a look in his eye that made Veronica shudder involuntarily as he took her offered hand and they headed over to join the game.

* * *

“Okay, who’s up next?” Lilly asked as she played ring leader in the monster game of Truth or Dare that half the party now seemed to be playing.

Logan and Veronica stood behind the people opposite Lilly, Weevil, Madison, and the birthday girl, Shelley. All their eyes were suddenly upon the two reluctant players and Madison grinned almost evilly.

“Maybe it should be Veronica’s turn,” she suggested. “We haven’t heard a peep out of her tonight.”

“What do you say, V?” Lilly asked her old friend with a grin. “Truth or Dare?”

“I’ll go with Truth,” she said. “You know I always do.”

Logan was kind of worried by now, though he didn’t show it, just kept a tonight hold of Veronica’s hand out of view of most of the people around them. She could get any kind of question here, especially from Lilly. She knew just what to say to really embarrass the both of them, and he was sure she would if she could.

“I have a question.” Shelley suddenly raised her hand, bouncing in her seat like Tigger on speed, and honestly, neither Logan nor Veronica was sure whether to be less worried or more so.

“Okay, Shelley,” the blonde said bravely. “Let’s hear it.”

“Something I wanna know for sure, Veronica Mars.” She smirked. “Are you still a virgin?”

An audible gasp and general giggle went round the table as all eyes turned to Veronica alone. Logan was pretty sure he knew what answer was coming, although she could always lie if she wanted to. He wasn’t sure which answer would get a better reaction.

“Oh, Shelley, is that the best you can do?” she asked with an appropriate eye roll. “Of course I’m still a virgin,” she told her easily. “I’m sure Lilly already told you that anyway, so it was kind of a pointless question.” She sighed, coming off so terribly nonchalant and yet Logan could feel her shaking beside him.

The look he gave her as she glanced his way told her he’d never been so proud in his life, and she was glad of his support. It had taken a lot for her to say that in front of everybody and yet she shouldn’t have to worry about it.

“We have nothing to be ashamed of, right?” she whispered the words that had almost become their motto these past few days, and Logan nodded in agreement as the game continued.


	12. Simple Like The Truth

“Oh, boring!” Lilly faked a yawn at the sound of another girls ‘truth’, an explanation of how she lost her virginity. It wasn’t exactly a thrilling tale, more fitting for a fairytale story book than the HBO-worthy situations Lilly often found herself in, or should that be put herself in?

“If everybody else is telling such uninspiring stories, Lil,” Logan told her. “Why don’t you share something with the group?”

“You don’t have to just because rich boy says so, baby,” Weevil told her, his hand rubbing her leg as he held her still in his lap.

“What? You’re scared I’m gonna let something slip about you, Eli?” she whispered in his ear. “Not tonight,” she promised, kissing his neck.

“What do you say, Lilly?” Shelley asked her. “Truth or Dare?”

“Truth,” she answered immediately as she brought her head up once again and looked around the assembled people, her eyes stopping at Logan. “Since it’s what everybody wants.” She smirked.

He tilted his beer bottle in her direction as if he was toasting her decision, before knocking back half the contents quickly. Beside him Veronica looked decidedly uncomfortable. Any secret Lilly told couldn’t lead to any good, it just couldn’t, and even the blonde had followed Logan’s example and resorted to a slightly stronger alcoholic drink to dull the overwhelming nervousness that raged within her. It was worth the cab fare to get the two of them home.

“I have the perfect question,” Madison grinned suddenly her eyes narrowing at Logan before she turned to her friend once again, the smile on her face threatening to split her face in two. “Lilly, who’s better in bed? Logan or Eli?” she asked, before adding the cruel twist. “Or is it Aaron?”

“You bitch!” Logan sneered, raising the beer bottle in his hand as if he meant to throw it.

“Logan, no!” Veronica urged him, grabbing at his arm to stop him.

As much as she hated Madison too right now, throwing glass at her would be assault and her family were sure to follow through with a complaint. Instead of being smashed in one nasty girls face, the bottle instead hit the ground with a thud, as Logan allowed Veronica to lower his arm back to his side, and the glass object he held slipped from his grasp. No-one saw the tears that filled his eyes, no-one but Veronica, and she only caught a glimpse before he pushed his way through the crowds and stormed away.

Madison bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing as Lilly buried her face in Weevil’s shoulder to hide the same.

“Y’know I actually felt sorry for you, Madison,” Veronica yelled at the girl who’s need to laugh left her immediately. “When I realised what Dick had planned for tonight, I left you that note because I actually thought I should help you, and now?” She shook her head, feeling so very angry and upset. “You tell me, all of you,” she asked the assembled group, “did I do the right thing?” she asked, completely at a loss as she turned and hurried after Logan who was fast disappearing from her sight.

Leaving a group of open-mouthed and gaping party-goers in her wake, Veronica barely noticed as she ran after her friend. She caught up with him a few feet before he reached his car and her hand grabbed his arm.

“Logan,” she said a she reached for him. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe she said that in front of you.”

“It’s not your fault, Veronica,” he told her with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes as he turned to look at her. “I should’ve expected something like that, and it shouldn’t hurt so damn much, but-”

“But it does.” She nodded in understanding. “And it’s okay, you’re allowed to be hurt.”

Logan let out a painful laugh as he wandered a few steps and slammed his fist into the hood of his car.

“Maybe we should go home,” Veronica suggested, hating to see him hurting like this.

Madison was such a bitch, so was Lilly, especially since she’d just sat there and laughed at the question she knew must be causing suffering to the young man she once professed to love.

“No,” he said suddenly. “Why should they ruin our night?” he asked as he turned to face her once again, head tilting towards the laughing crowd beyond. “You, er, you wanna go for a walk for a while. I dunno, talk or something?”

“Sure.” Veronica smiled, taking the hand he offered her as they headed past a row of parked cars to a little decorative fence which Logan lifted Veronica over before following, and re-taking her hand.

They wandered down onto the beach, both of them distinctly quiet despite the fact they’d said they were going to walk and talk. To anybody who was watching they would’ve looked like young lovers taking a moonlit stroll, and it seemed to suddenly occur to them both at the same time as awkwardness set in, their hands dropping from each others as they both spoke at once.

“You go.” Logan smiled at Veronica who looked away at the ocean for a moment.

“I was going to ask,” she said taking a breath, “do you still love Lilly?” she asked eventually, wondering why she really needed to know, but certain that she did. “I’m sorry, I know it’s none of my business but-”

“Hey, it’s okay,” he interrupted her. “Did I love Lilly?” Logan sighed. “Yeah, I think I did, but do I love her now?” He shook his head. “No, I can’t.”

“I’m not sure I could even like her now, not even if I tried,” Veronica admitted. “I don’t know what changed, or when, or how, but something did.” She shook her head.

“You changed, that’s for sure.” He smiled, though the blonde beside him looked less amused, after all it was yet to be said whether the change he’d seen in her was for the better or worse. “There’s no way the kid I met when I moved here would’ve acted like you did in front of everybody,” he told her. “I mean, the whole virgin thing? Wow, Veronica.”

“I’m not ashamed of the fact that I don’t sleep around,” she said firmly. “Anymore than you’d be embarrassed to admit how many girls you’ve been with.”

“Ah,” Logan looked away then. “That number might not be exactly what you think. I talk a good game, Veronica, but you know how it is. You know I never loved anyone but Lilly.” He shook his head, eyes meeting her once again.

Though he hadn’t actually said it, Veronica knew what he meant. Lilly was the only girl he’d ever had sex with, he’d been committed to her, that was for sure. It only made it worse that the Kanes daughter would betray him, over and over.

“So how exactly did this friendly conversation turn into our own game of Truth?” Logan suddenly asked her with a smirk.

“I don’t see it as a game when two friends share secrets,” Veronica shook her head. “It’s just, being best friends.”

“Best friends, huh?” Logan’s smirk widened, his emphasis heavy on the ‘best’ part of the term. “How did that happen?”

“I don’t know.” Veronica giggled. “But I don’t mind that it did. You’re a way better friend lately than Lilly was,” she admitted, though she couldn’t exactly look Logan in the eye as she did so.

They reached a patch of rocks on the beach and sat down together, watching the tide lap the shore.

“So, whilst we’re sharing secrets,” Logan said. “Anything else you need to confess, Miss Mars? Anymore skeletons in your closet?” he asked.

“Nothing interesting,” she assured him. “Logan, you’ve known me since we were twelve, what huge secrets could I really have from you?”

“Well, I was dating Lilly and she had plenty,” he pointed out. “I’m starting to think I don’t know anybody as well as I thought. Not even my parents.” He sighed, as Veronica shuddered involuntary at the very thought of Aaron Echolls.

It was bad enough knowing he’d been having an affair with Lilly, but then the way he’d attacked her... Veronica was just so glad she’d been there to save her friend, and that her father would ensure justice was served. Though Aaron had got bail, he was still going to have to face punishment for the statutory rape and attempted assault that everybody knew he had committed. Lilly may have been willing when it came to messing around with her boyfriend’s father but she was still too young in the eyes of the law.

As soon as bail was granted, Aaron had fled to another property, in an ‘undisclosed location’, though of course Logan knew where Daddy Dearest had gone and Veronica could find out from her Dad if she so wished, he had to know. The fact was both Logan and Veronica were just glad to know Aaron was out of their lives for a while. Things were going to get awfully complicated when trials and sentences had to be dealt with. The whole sorry mess would require dragging up again, from his affair with Lilly, and his attack on the same girl, no doubt delving into the Echolls family secrets that were best kept buried.

“You want to know a secret about me?” Veronica said suddenly, desperate to lighten the mood anyway she could.

“Sure.” Logan managed a smile, seeing what it was she was trying to do.

“Well... I’ve never...” she began, with relevant dramatic pauses, making it seem as if she were about to tell the biggest secret in the world to him as she leaned in close to his ear and whispered. “I’ve never seen snow,” she admitted, and his expression was pure shock as he looked at her.

“Are you serious?” he gasped, and Veronica wasn’t entirely sure whether he was asking of her statement was the real one she intended to give, or if the words themselves were true.

“I’m serious,” she assured him on both counts. “That’s my big secret, I’ve never seen snow. I’ve lived in California my whole life, Logan.” She shrugged. “And vacations didn’t take us far. We’re not all rich enough for skiing in Aspen every Christmas,” she said with an over-the-top upper class accent as she shoved him in the shoulder and laughed.

“Wow,” said Logan, for the second time now, amazed by not only what Veronica had said but just by the girl herself. She’d shown a different side to herself tonight, as well as all the stuff he already knew he really liked about her, maybe even loved about her if he were perfectly honest, but that was one confession he was not about to make tonight, no matter how intense the sharing became.

“So, anything else you want to share?” Veronica asked him, when he was quiet too long.

“I don’t know,” said Logan awkwardly as she stared at him, and he wondered if she knew he was hiding something, if she could read his mind and knew he was thinking of a secret this very minute, that he wasn’t at all ready to tell.

“C’mon there must be something stupid you wanna share,” Veronica urged him, hoping to maintain the light mood they’d managed for a while there.

The way Logan was looking at her now was far from amusing, and more terrifying, like he was going to say something really serious, or like he was going to kiss her or something.

“Okay, I don’t actually dance that well,” he admitted eventually, and Veronica was just glad he’d torn his eyes away from her own.

This gave her something to think about. All the parties she’d been to in the company of Lilly, Duncan, and Logan, and yet she hadn’t noticed that he couldn’t dance. There were slow dances but that didn’t so much qualify.

“Huh,” she said, when she realised what he said was true. “Well, we all have one of those things we can’t do.” She shrugged. “Some people can’t swim, a lot can’t surf, personally I was never brave enough to let go of the wall the one time I went to an ice rink,” she told him.

“There’s a pattern here, with you and frozen water, Miss Mars,” Logan noted, making her smile.

“This is nice,” said Veronica after a moment. “Y’know, us doing the friends thing, away from the bitch crowd.” She was smiling when she made the mistake of turning to actually look at Logan and when their eyes met again, the intensity returned, sapping all the humour from the moment.

It kept happening, and neither could deny that it did. They were getting closer, and not just in that best friends way they talked about. As they both sub-consciously leaned in to each other, to the point where their lips almost touched, it was apparent to the pair of them they should think before getting into this, but they didn’t.

Logan’s hand slid up behind Veronica’s head, pulling her to him as they finally had that kiss they’d both been thinking about for most of the night, if they were honest with themselves.

It was odd, in a way, since the only guy Veronica had ever really kissed like this was Duncan, and mostly Logan had been committed to only Lilly. Knowing who the other person was in this moment ought to have been strange, they were such an unlikely pairing, and yet nobody would ever have pinned them for friends either, but they were and had been for a while now.

The kiss was fairly short but sweet, and nonetheless thrilling, it was just the remedy for the waiting and thinking and over-thinking the two had done previously. When they parted and were forced to actually look at each other once again, neither knew quite what to say.

“So,” Logan said eventually, before realising he had nothing to follow it with, a strange feeling for the boy who always had a quick-witted comment for any given situation.

“Yeah,” came Veronica’s equally surprising inarticulate response as they both at there feeling more than a little awkward. “Um, it’s getting kind of late,” she said, glancing at the watch on her wrist that honestly she could barely read in the semi-dark, but she figured her ‘kinda late’ estimate must be fairly accurate.

“Right, yeah.” Logan frowned slightly, wondering if this was his friend telling him she needed to get away from him as soon as possible, either because he’d scared her, or confused her, or something. “I should probably call a cab or-”

“Yes, a cab,” Veronica agreed with a nod, letting ought a sigh of relief as Logan got up from the rocks and took a couple of steps away as he pulled out his cell and made the call.

Sitting alone, the blonde took a couple of breaths, feeling a little dizzy to be honest. A smile crept onto her lips as she let the events of the evening sink in, in particular that kiss she and Logan had just shared. It was a beautiful moment, and yet scary too. She was quite overwhelmed by how much she could feel from one little kiss. Of course, the real question was, did Logan feel the same? She’d like to ask, but right now she didn’t dare too.

Little did she know he was having the same problem, and so the two remained mostly quiet as they walked back to the house, waited for their cab, got in, and rode home, all the while wondering if they’d made a big mistake tonight.

Both were usually so quick to ask exactly what they wanted to know, but things were different now, and silence reigned, even as they arrived at Veronica’s house and she moved to get out of the car. When she turned to say goodnight, she realsied Logan had decided to walk her to her door, and the butterflies in her stomach woke up once again.

“Tonight was fun,” she said as they stood under the porch light together. “Mostly, anyway. Maybe next time we can gag Madison before the party starts.” She smirked, and he did too at the amusing mental image her words conjured up.

Logan was only glad that it wasn’t their kiss she was regretting, at least it didn’t seem to be. If she were so eager to get away, she’d have got herself into the house by now, but she was still there, besides he knew enough of her frankness to believe that Veronica would tell him out right if she wanted him to back off.

“So, I guess this is the part where we say goodnight, Miss Mars,” he said, glancing towards the cab that would take him home, then back at her face.

“I guess so,” she replied, with a slight nod of her head, as they stood close to each other. “Goodnight, Logan,” she said, her voice no more than a whisper by now, as she anticipated his next move.

His lips dropped onto hers a second later, and the two enjoyed a second sweet kiss.

“Goodnight, Veronica,” he whispered when they parted, and by the time the blonde opened her eyes, Logan was already back down the path, climbing into the cab that would take him home.

All in all, it had been a very strange night, Veronica thought to herself with a smile, but she wouldn’t have changed it for the world.


	13. Let's Hear It For The Boy

“Morning sweetheart,” Keith greeted his daughter as she came from her room to the breakfast table in her nightwear and robe, stretching her arms above her head and yawning.

“Hey, Dad.” She smiled, until she noticed all the paperwork spread out before him. “Not on a Sunday, Dad, we talked about this.”

“I know, honey.” He sighed, as she arrived at his side and he put an arm round her waist. “And I promise this is just a one time thing, honest.”

“Okay.” Veronica nodded, hugging her father, before walking around the counter seeking out something she might want for breakfast. “Are you hungry?” she checked.

“I had breakfast already,” he admitted, “but a coffee would be great.”

Veronica busied herself getting a drink for her father, as well as some cereal and juice for herself.

“So, how was the party last night?” Keith asked her. “I know I asked when you got home, but I barely got a ‘cool, whatever’ before you went rushing off to your room.”

“It was late, I was tired,” Veronica said definitely, keeping her back to her Dad as she spoke, “and the party was good, we had fun. There’s not much to tell.”

“A house full of underage drinking and debauchery, and you didn’t come back with at least a shortlist of kids I can bust for minor crimes?” he checked, with fake shock. “Veronica, I’m disappointed in you.”

“Ha ha,” the blonde mocked a laugh at his joke, as she came to join him at the table, bringing first his coffee then her own breakfast. “It was all pretty average; Dick was an idiot, Madison was a bitch.” She rolled her eyes as she explained.

“What about Lilly?” Keith asked with interest. “Was she there?”

“She was,” Veronica admitted, pushing her cereal around with the spoon, but not eating for the moment. “Would you believe she brought Weevil with her?”

“Eli Navarro and Lilly Kane?” her father’s eyes went wide at the prospect of it.

“Pretty shocking, huh?” Veronica smirked at his expression. “Apparently he was another of Lilly’s secret affairs. I don’t try to understand it, I don’t want to anymore.” She shook her head, focusing on eating her breakfast at last.

“Y’know, honey.” Keith sighed. “As great as it was to see you being happy with Lilly, and Duncan for that matter, I can’t say I’m completely sorry that you’re not hanging around with the Kane kids anymore.”

“Okay.” Veronica frowned slightly, swallowing her mouthful. “I see why you would have a problem with Lilly, it’s pretty obvious to everybody that she’s not exactly the kind of daughter anybody would want right now, and people get tainted by association, I get that,” she agreed. “But Duncan’s not... Well, until he just stopped calling, and started ignoring me in the halls, he wasn’t a bad guy.”

“I know that, sweetheart,” her father agreed, looking at her at first but then down more at his coffee as he continued. “In a lot of ways I know Duncan is a very nice, decent young man, but... I just think it’s for the best in the long run that you and he don’t see each other that way. For all their money and power, Veronica, the Kanes aren’t the perfect family, even if they sometimes seem to be,” he told her. “You should know that better than anyone.”

“I do.” She nodded as she got up from her seat and came to her Dad’s side. “How could they be the perfect family, when the best father and daughter team are right here?” She smiled, hugging him tight.

Veronica didn’t see, of course, the pained expression on her father’s face as he hugged her back. Father and daughter. It’s what they seemed to be, ought to be, but he knew very well that there was every chance Lianne’s affair with Jake Kane had produced the cute little blonde in his arms. She might not be his daughter at all, and yet so far he hadn’t had the guts to tell her.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” he asked when they parted. “Staying home, going out?”

“I guess staying home.” Veronica shrugged. “Wallace is busy all weekend, and Logan... well, I figure he’ll have had enough of my company after last night,” she said, feeling slightly awkward as she recalled the kiss the two of them had shared. Actually, make that two kisses.

She could almost blush at the thought of it, if she were more the blushing kind. The one good thing that had come out of hanging out with Lilly and even Logan so much was that getting embarrassed just became a non-option. Veronica had learnt to let everything slide by her without a care, well, most things anyway.

“Oh, well, I thought Logan was quite enjoying your company last night,” Keith said casually as he look down at his paperwork. “I never knew you take so long to say goodnight to Lilly when you and she were best friends.” He smiled as he glanced up at his daughter, her mouth having fallen open wide.

“Oh my God, you were spying on us!” she gasped in shock. “Dad, that’s gross!” she complained.

“I’m the Sheriff, Veronica, it’s my job to keep an eye on people,” he told her smartly. “And since I’m also your father, that makes it doubly my job to keep watch over you,” he said, making his little girl smile.

“You know I love it that you care,” she reminded him. “Although, I’m afraid to ask what you think about the idea of me and Logan being... well, whatever we are right now,” she said, somewhat awkwardly.

“Veronica, I like Logan,” her father promised her. “He’s not a bad guy, I never had to pick him up for anything. He has some questionable friends, or at least he did, but I know you can’t always judge a person on their friends,” he considered. “Thankfully from what I’ve seen he has more of his mothers traits than his fathers, and drinking aside, Lynn is at least a moral and decent human being.”

“And the verdict after all the exposition is...?” Veronica asked, wondering after all the to and fro whether her father was actually going to object to her getting closer to Logan Echolls or not.

“Honey, if you’re happy, I’m happy.” He smiled at last and she did the same.

“Y’know, I really am,” she told him.

“Then it’s settled.” Keith nodded once, smile never wavering. “You’ll date Logan, we’ll all be happy, and if he sets one foot out of line, I can shoot him.”

“Dad!” Veronica complained at her father’s joke, but she laughed nevertheless, before heading back to her bedroom to get dressed.

It was strange, she thought, as she pulled clothes from her closet and changed into them, to hear her father’s words;

‘You’ll date Logan, we’ll all be happy.’

Dating Logan; it was a strange concept, and yet the very thought of it brought a smile to Veronica’s lips. She never really considered the young Mr Echolls as dating material, well, not seriously... had she? As she thought more about it Veronica recalled a conversation that had occurred a very long time ago, between herself and Lilly...

_4 years earlier..._

“So what do you think of the new boy?” the thirteen year old daughter of the Kane empire asked her best friend as she stretched out on her bed, looking across at the blonde on the desk chair.

“Logan Echolls?” Veronica checked, quite pointlessly since he was the only new boy in town. “I don’t know, he looks pretty much like his picture,” she noted, flashing a page of the magazine in her hands towards Lilly.

“It’s not all about looks, Veronica.” She rolled her eyes, as her friend narrowed hers.

At twelve and thirteen, the girls had just started to form a real interest in the male side of the population and as young teenage girls were wont to do, they pretty much only ever focused on looks, though Lilly was more guilty of this than Veronica, who had always been brought up to see the person behind the appearance.

“Okay, so a lot of it is about looks,” the young Miss Kane giggled. “And Logan is pretty fine. He’s going to grow up handsome like his Daddy, that’s for sure.”

“You think Aaron Echolls is handsome?” Veronica asked, with a look of distaste. “He’s majorly old.”

“Maybe I like older men.” She shrugged.

“Well, Logan is younger than you,” her friend pointed out. “So I guess he’s of little or no interest.”

“All guys are of interest to me, Veronica Mars,” Lilly reminded her with a smile as she turned onto her side and propped herself up with her elbow, and her hand under her head. “So come on, give me an honest opinion on the younger Mr Echolls. Hot or not?”

“I guess hot,” Veronica admitted as she looked down at the picture in the magazine, the boy she’d met a few hours ago as Duncan showed up to the girls soccer practice with a new friend in tow.

“Yeah, I could go for the cute but troubled movie star son thing,” Lilly considered. “Could be good for my deal.”

“Your deal?” Veronica laughed lightly. “Lil, do you even like him?”

“Sure.” She shrugged. “He could be fun. Besides, with my brother making goo-goo eyes at you all the time, I don’t think it’s going to be long before you two are dating.” She sighed. “And I’ve got to have someone for our double dates, right?”

Veronica answered with a nod and a vague ‘yeah’ as her focus remained on the magazine in front of her. Logan Echolls - he was hot alright, and from what she could make out from their brief meeting, quite sweet and probably fun. She was a good judge of character most of the time, she guessed it came from her fathers teachings. As a man of the law he had to be good at judging people, those he could trust and those that would lie without a care.

“Veronica?” Lilly tried to get her attention but she wasn’t listening. “Hey, Veronica!”

_Back to the present..._

“Veronica?” the person calling her name as she returned to reality was her father and the blonde shook her head to bring her completely out of the daze she’d found herself in. “Sweetheart, you have a visitor.”

“Be right out,” she called back, checking her appearance quickly in the mirror before hurrying out of her room and through to where her Dad was talking to the person who was apparently there to see her.

“Here she is.” Keith smiled. “Look who couldn’t stay away,” he said, gesturing beyond himself to where Logan stood.

“Hey,” Veronica greeted him, barely noticing as her father muttered something about leaving them alone, and slipped off out of the room. “What are you doing here?”

“Gee, Veronica, that’s a nice welcome.” Logan smirked, his hands in his pockets as he stood there looking a little awkward now. “Especially since I came bearing gifts,” he said, stepping aside from the table where a sizeable parcel sat, badly wrapped in bright coloured paper with a bow on top.

It was quite obvious from the rough attempts at gift wrap that Logan had done this himself, which actually made Veronica feel all the more odd about taking the offered gift.

“It’s not my birthday,” she told him, and he nodded his head.

“I know that,” he assured her. “I’d be a pretty bad best friend if I didn’t know when you’re birthday was. This is just... something you’ll be needing.”

With a dubious look in her eye, but a smile on her lips nonetheless, Veronica crossed to the table and carefully unwrapped the gift, opening the box beneath the paper and grinning as she pulled out the contents.

“Ice skates,” she said, glancing at Logan. “Very good, I’m impressed by both your memory and initiative,” she told him. “Ten out of a possible ten,” she said, turning around, only to find he was now right behind her.

“Damn,” he cursed. “I was trying for eleven.”

“Sorry, you didn’t quite earn it,” she countered, trying not to let his closeness affect her but finding it difficult as her mind flashed back to last nights kisses, the very thought of those moments making her heart beat faster and her breath leave her.

“Maybe this will get me that extra point.” Logan smiled, and Veronica anticipated another kiss, only to be surprised and a little disappointed when instead he produced a bunch of keys which he dangled in front of her face.

“Keys?” she frowned.

“Not just any keys,” Logan assured her. “This key here,” he said, selecting one and showing her. “Opens the doors to a new adventure for you, Miss Mars.” He smiled, offering a hand for her to take. “What do you say? Do you trust me?”

Barely a second passed before she took the offered hand and nodded once.

“Yes, I do.”


	14. Ice Ice Baby

“Y’know it’s not like I object, but is there a reason why you can’t stop smiling at me?” Logan asked, glancing quickly at Veronica and back at the road as he drove. “Are my amazing good looks just hypnotising you?” he suggested with a grin.

Veronica’s eye-roll that he caught sight of as he took another glance at her told her his suggestion was a little off.

“I was just thinking,” Veronica admitted as she continued to stare at her friend. “You’re actually kind of an amazing person,” the smirk on Logan’s face had her quickly adding. “I swear, you make one smart-ass comment, Logan Echolls, and I’ll take it all back.”

“I barely reacted!” he told her, protesting his innocence, his eyes flitting between the road and her face once again, of course the fact he was laughing as he said it proved he’d had in mind those exact comments that Veronica did not want to hear.

It wasn’t his fault, at least Logan didn’t think so. He was used to being sarcastic and/or obnoxious, it covered a lot of other stuff he didn’t want to show. Whilst he figured Veronica was maybe one of the few people that understood that, he didn’t want to mess this up by saying the wrong thing. He was actually quite grateful she’d stopped him. God knows, he was glad she’d even been willing to speak to him this morning. Last night had not exactly gone how he planned, but he’d loved every minute, well, almost every minute, at least every one he spent alone with Veronica.

“So, how exactly did you get the keys to the ice-rink?” the blonde asked him suddenly, and Logan brought himself back to reality, thinking himself lucky he hadn’t crashed the car in those few moments when his mind had been elsewhere.

“Money talks, Veronica, you know that.” He shrugged. “For all the bad points about Daddy Dearest, his cash sure does prove useful.”

“Uh-huh.” She nodded, shifting in the seat beside him, and then Logan knew he’d messed up again, albeit unintentionally.

Aaron Echolls was the last person either of them wanted to talk or even think about, and yet he’d brought him up, right there in the middle of what ought to have been a perfectly nice day.

“If it makes you feel better.” He sighed. “My Mom actually helped me set this up,” he admitted. “Y’know without him there to get in the way, we actually talk and stuff, like when I was a kid.” He smiled to himself as he pulled into the empty parking lot outside the closed ice-rink and shut off the engine of the X-Terra.

“That can only be good,” Veronica said with a smile. “For the both of you.”

“Yeah,” Logan agreed, the two sharing a moment that neither was sure about.

Both their minds flashed back this time to the night before. They’d kissed twice, knowing it would change their relationship forever. They couldn’t hide behind simple friendship anymore. The genie was out of the bottle and squashing it back in would prove impossible. Still, it seemed neither of them were actually willing to say or do anything about... anything, and so an awkward silence stretched out between them until eventually it got the better of Veronica and she spoke.

“So, this is it, huh?” She smiled, eyes shifting to look out through the windshield at the building that held both an ice-rink and a bowling alley, the combined place bearing the rather obvious name of The Ice Bowl.

The pair got out of the car, Logan bringing two boxes from the back, his own skates and those he’d bought as a gift for Veronica. They met at the front of the car, Logan with the two boxes under his arm. He locked up the car and offered his free hand to Veronica, who took it without a thought. They did this a lot lately, held hands as they walked. It had become just another thing they did, though neither was sure exactly how. It was as much a friend thing as anything else, unchanged despite the other things that had altered

“So, seriously for a second,” said Veronica as they reached the door, and Logan had to let go of her hand to unlock it. “You pretty much brought me here just to see how many times I can fall on my butt, right?”

He smirked at that, but neither denied or confirmed it as they went into the building. The deserted rink looked even bigger than it might had it been full of people, but not at all daunting, in spite of the fact Veronica knew there was every chance of her falling quite spectacularly just as soon as she stepped out onto the smooth surface. She was happy to be here, on a new adventure, albeit it somewhat less dramatic and exciting than any of her father’s stories that came from many years of law enforcement.

For perhaps the first time in a while, Veronica felt normal, and like the teenage girl she ought to be, as she and Logan sat together, changing their footwear from shoes to skates. Everything had been so intense lately, all arguments and sadness and huge emotional turmoil.

When she was with Logan she forgot about a lot of the badness. He had this weird ability to make her smile, and she’d like to think she had some part in making him happier too. They’d both been through quite the tornado of extreme emotions lately, as those they loved left them and hurt them. Leaning on each other seemed like the thing to do, but it was so much more than friendship for comforts sake now.

“You ready for this?” Logan asked as he got to his feet and held out a hand to her.

Veronica smiled and nodded as she placed her hand in his and stood up beside him. She was ready to see if she could skate with any kind of grace or elegance, that was fine, but she wasn’t quite so sure if she was ready for what all this really meant.

If Duncan had done something like this for her when they’d been dating, Veronica would have thought it all highly romantic, but she and Logan weren’t together that way... were they?

Their relationship, for want of a better word, had been undefined from Day One. They were really only friends back then via the brother and sister that they dated, and now, it was obvious to anyone that they were much closer than the average pair of acquaintances they’d once been, but no-one had talked of love, not even of that kind of liking. There had been kisses of course, two blissful moments last night the mere memory of which created butterflies in Veronica’s stomach and a strange tingle that ran down her spine.

Nothing had been said about it, no words spoken by either of them either then or since about those two fabulous kisses. For two people, so defined by what they said, so noted for having opinions and snarky comments on just about any given subject, it was extremely odd for them to remain so silent about something that could potentially be such a big deal, and yet not a word was said about it. No talking, just skating, and laughing, and trying not to fall down!

* * *

Now was the time, Keith decided finally, as he stepped up onto the chair in his bedroom, and pulled down a box from the top shelf of his closet. Various items resided in the box marked ‘Playboys’ though not a one amongst them was actually an adult magazine. It was anything he needed Veronica to not see, and this DNA kit was one of them.

Though he had brought her up as his own little girl, Keith Mars had always known that Veronica might not actually be his own flesh and blood. Lianne had been having an affair with Jake Kane, on-and-off the whole time they were together, and she had confessed to trying to rid herself of her child through the demon drink because she was convinced at that time the baby she carried must be the next of the Kane dynasty.

It was by no means definite either way. Veronica could easily be the daughter of either Jake or Keith, but it was decided by all concerned it was best for the little girl to be raised as a Mars, by Lianne and her husband.

Veronica had never been told of her possible rich heritage. Many a fight had occurred between her supposed parents when she began dating Duncan, after all they might be half-siblings, nobody knew for sure. Still the secret was kept, and eventually when the young Kane broke off the relationship it was to the relief of both Keith and Lianne, but their fighting wasn’t done. Her affair with Jake was only one thing to disagree on, other things cropped up too; his work, her increased drinking habit, one thing after the other until Lianne had gone off on her vacation, only to decide enough was enough and she was not coming back again.

Keith sighed as he unpacked the DNA kit onto the kitchen table and looked at it. All this time he’d coped with it, lived with knowing Veronica might not be his daughter, and yet treating her as if she were, wishing it were true. Now he had to be sure, for her sake as well as his own. He’d lied to her long enough, too many people had wanted her to have the truth, but to give her the whole truth meant getting this test done first.

A hair from his head, another from Veronica’s hairbrush that laid in it’s usual place on the desk in her room. Soon they’d both know the truth about where she really came from and who she really was. Keith was dreading finding out she wasn’t his child, after all they pretty much only had each other left to lean on, but honesty was always the best policy, it was something he’d taken pride in teaching Veronica, and he would stand by those words. What kind of Sheriff, what kind of father, would he be, if he didn’t?

* * *

Veronica smiled proudly as she continued on around the ice-rink, skating like she’d been doing it for years, or at least a few weeks. She could start and stop without a great deal of trouble, and Logan loved to see how happy it made her. She’d slipped a couple of times, fallen right over more than once, but mostly he’d been there to catch her. She trusted him to be there, and as much as he was sure she liked knowing he was there for her, Logan liked knowing she wanted him there. His mother aside, nobody really craved his company, especially not lately. Wanted was not something he often felt, and the last person who genuinely seemed to want him around had actually been sleeping with the local gang leader and his own father whilst simultaneously seeing him.

“Hey, check this out!” Veronica called from across the rink as she managed a slightly awkward turn all by herself without falling down, grinning like a proud child when she completed her task.

“Should I applaud?” he teased her, holding his hands as if in anticipation on her instruction to do as he suggested.

Veronica just rolled her eyes and continued on having fun. Neither of them had been having much of that lately, but this activity, this time spent together, it was certainly not a bad thing at all.

“Y’know maybe you should slow down a little,” Logan told Veronica as she came hurtling across the ice at him.

He opened his mouth to issue another warning but she suddenly made a sharp turn as if to stop herself only the momentum kept her going and he knew before even she realised it that she was going to fall flat on her face. Rushing to her side, he almost made it, but the grab he made for her arm only helped to send him sprawling too.

The pair landed on the ice with a thump, Veronica’s fall somewhat cushioned by the fact she fell mostly on top of Logan. As she shifted in an attempt to assess her current state, injured or not, and then tried to stand, Veronica failed in her endeavour and only managed to land once again on top of her friend, face to face and breathing unevenly.

“I’m sorry,” she said too seriously, the amusement that should’ve come from the ridiculous accident having been completely obliterated by the intense moment of closeness that had now occurred.

“I’m not,” he told her, one hand sliding up behind her head and pulling her to him until their lips met.

Far from shying away, Veronica returned Logan’s kiss, barely thinking about what she was doing just knowing this was what she wanted, what she’d secretly been wishing for all day. When they had to part for air, she was smiling, knowing by now that this could not just be accidental, or alcohol induced, or a weird kind of fluke, That was something real happening between herself and Logan, something special.

“That keeps on happening,” she stated the obvious, for lack of knowing what else to say.

“Yeah,” Logan agreed. “You, er, think that means something, Miss Mars?” he asked her. “I mean, you’re the Sheriff’s daughter after all. Care to put together the clues and try out a theory?”

“I wouldn’t know where to start,” she admitted as she looked down into his eyes. “Maybe I’m crazy, maybe we both are, but... whatever the hell this thing is, that we have, I like it.”

“Me too.” Logan smiled back at her, before his expression shifted to something much less good, almost pained in fact.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, almost afraid to know the answer, and he couldn’t help but smirk at her obvious panic that he was about to tell her all this meant nothing, or whatever.

“I... cannot feel my back anymore,” he told her eventually, and she actually laughed with relief when she realised the only problem was their current awkward position on the ice.

“God, you had me really worried then,” Veronica complained as the pair helped each other to their feet.

“You were worried, Veronica? About me?” Logan feigned a pleasantly surprised expression though in all honesty it was kind of nice to hear anyway.

“What do you think?” she said perfectly seriously, taking her turn at initiating another kiss between them.

Whatever the hell this was between them, is was going pretty well so far. Sure, it was early days yet, the first day of them actually admitting there was something between them, but it was a start. The start of something beautiful perhaps.


	15. Is This Really Happening To Me?

“So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” Logan said as he walked Veronica from the car to her door, her hand held tight in his.

“I guess so,” she agreed, feeling oddly shy all of a sudden as they faced each other on the porch.

She knew he was thinking of kissing her again, which she didn’t mind at all, but Veronica was overly aware of the fact her father was probably watching again, ensuring Logan didn’t take advantage or something.

“You do know my dad probably has binoculars trained on us right now.” She smiled, eyes shifting towards the window and back. “And those binoculars are balanced on his gun?”

Logan looked at her strangely, like he wasn’t sure if she was kidding or not, before looking towards the window and offering up a friendly wave and a smile just in case.

“So, I should get inside,” Veronica said eventually, looking up at him through her lashes. “Thank you for today, I had a great time.”

“Me too,” Logan agreed, as he finally moved in and kissed her softly on the lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said backing away to his car, waving to Veronica as she did the same and disappeared into the house.

“You have a nice time, sweetheart?” Keith asked her with a smile as she came into the house, also beaming.

“I did,” she told him truthfully, with a nod of her head.

Life hadn’t exactly been rosy lately, what with the whole Aaron and Lilly situation, and Lianne leaving. Both Veronica and Keith were glad to be smiling at all right now, though of course she didn’t know the look on her fathers face was entirely faked.

He’d just managed to get the samples for the DNA test sorted out and posted off before she got back. A few minutes sooner and she would have seen something, started asking questions that he either couldn’t, or didn’t want to answer right now. He was still keeping secrets, and it killed Keith to know that he was lying to the girl he saw as his daughter. Still, until he knew for sure whether she was his blood kin or not, it seemed better to be silent on the whole subject.

“How about you?” Veronica asked her father, snapping him from the semi-daze he seemed to be in. “Do anything fun whilst I was out with Logan?”

“Not really.” Keith shook his head. “Just more paperwork and stuff.”

“Dad, we talked about this.”

“Yeah, I know, I’m sorry, honey,” he apologised.

He knew they had indeed made an agreement that unless it was an emergency there would be no work-related stuff on Sundays. Everybody needed a break, even the Sheriff, and Veronica was determined her father would get one.

“So, how about we put the work away, and I raid the freezer?” she suggested. “We could have dessert for dinner.” She grinned, pulling ice-cream topping and a jar of cherries from the nearest cupboard.

“Okay,” Keith agreed with a smile, as he put the papers back in their file and got up from his seat, pointing a finger at her, “but if social services come calling, we had a real healthy roast with all the trimmings, alright?”

“Absolutely.” Veronica laughed, as she began preparing two oversized dishes of various ice-cream related products.

Life, it seemed, was finally turning around for the Mars family, even if that did consist of just the two people these days. Of course Veronica didn’t know that things were not necessarily going to remain rosy, but then, right now, what she didn’t know couldn’t hurt her.

* * *

“Lilly, what are you doing?” Duncan asked his sister, as he appeared in her bedroom doorway and looked in at her.

“Right now?” she asked, raising an eyebrow, her foot propped up on a chair as she fastened the buckle on her silver stilettos. “I’m scuba-diving with dolphins, Donut.” She smirked. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

“You can’t honestly think you’re going out tonight?” he shook his head as he came into the room, standing watching her with his arms folded across his chest as she flitted around, checking her hair, finding the right purse, and so on. “Dad grounded you, remember?”

“‘Dad grounded you, remember?’” Lilly mimicked in a pathetic little squeaky voice. “Honestly, Duncan, you’re getting really boring again.” She rolled her eyes. “You were way more fun when you were with Veronica, but then I guess that wasn’t destined to go anywhere,” she considered, as she touched up her lipstick and pouted into the mirror.

Duncan glared behind her and she saw it in the glass.

“What is wrong with you?” He shook his head. “You always took advantage of people, treated us all like idiots, but now... now, it’s like you don’t even remember how to care at all. You’re getting worse, Lilly. Why can’t you see it?”

“No, Duncan, why can’t you see it?” she yelled, spinning around suddenly and getting in his face. “Why can’t you see that I’m having a good time, having a life, enjoying myself?”

“With Mr Echolls? With that Weevil guy? By hurting Logan and Veronica?” he reeled off her crimes. “Is this how you enjoy yourself, Lilly? It’s twisted!” he told her, as he got overly mad.

“More twisted than you making out with our own sister?” the blonde challenged him, the prime insult saved only for special occasions when she got really mad at her brothers attempts to control her, or tell her what he thought of her life.

A blackness took over Duncan’s mind in that moment. He wasn’t aware of what he was doing, his brain froze up, everything went dark. A blind rage took over and then... nothing.

* * *

Duncan woke up with a blinding headache, and a distinct lack of memory as to how he’d got here on his own bed. He still wore the same clothes as when he’d gone into Lilly’s room to talk to her about her behaviour, not that much time could’ve passed.

Putting a hand to his head, Duncan found the pain increased, and there were traces of blood as he brought his fingers in front of his eyes.

“Lilly,” he said to himself, horrified by the thought that he might’ve struck out at her, hurt her in some way.

For all his sister was, in spite of the arguments they often had, he still loved her, he would not want to harm her, not like this.

“Good, you’re awake,” she said, catching his attention.

Duncan turned and spotted Lilly, looking just fine, if not somewhat annoyed, sitting on the chair next to his bed.

“What...?” he began, but she shook her head.

“You had one of your fits again,” Lilly told him. “And pretty much screwed my chances of getting out for my date tonight.” She rolled her eyes.

“But... I didn’t...” he said, looking confused, his hand going back to the apparent wound on his head as he spotted the injury in the mirror across the room.

“You went all Incredible Hulk, minus the green,” she told him, shrugging her shoulders like it was no big deal. “Mom and Dad think I hit you with the lamp to stop you hurting yourself.”

“What really happened?” he asked grimly, knowing someone or something must’ve definitely hit him, but as yet uncertain as to whom/what or why.

“I dunno,” she said the way only a practised liar could. “You just got like an anger overload, and Weevil was right there outside my window waiting for me. He heard us yelling and literally swung in to save the day.” She smirked. “If it makes you feel better, you gave him a decent black eye before he got you to stay down.”

Duncan looked away and winced at the thought of what he might’ve been capable of given the chance, that and the pain that tore through his skull.

“Anyway.” Lilly sighed. “Now I know you’re okay, I’m going to go get some beauty sleep, not that I need a whole lot, right?” She winked, as she hopped off the chair and moved towards the door.

“Lilly,” Duncan called to her, just as she opened the door. “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely when she turned back.

“Don’t sweat it, little brother.” She smiled at him. “Just expect a lot of parental fuss and a couple more trips to the shrink,” she said wickedly. “Besides, you probably did me a favour, taking all the attention off me for a while. Leaves me free to enjoy myself without 24/7 eyeballing from Mom and Dad.” She grinned, as she finally left.

Duncan closed his eyes and let his head drop back onto his pillow. He wasn’t sure how life had got so screwed up, but somewhere along the line it had. He had things going for him, of course, more then most average people that was for sure. His family was rich, his girlfriend was sweet and beautiful, he had lots of friends, a healthy GPA, it was all good. Unfortunately for Duncan he also had secrets, too many that were becoming too difficult to keep.

He never got the chance to explain to Veronica the reason why it might be wrong for the two of them to be together, and he probably never would. He also had to keep to himself about the condition he suffered, the very one that made him lash out at Lilly tonight, and at others before. Now there would be more lies, more problems, making up excuses for why he had this cut and bruise on his forehead. No doubt his parents would think of a story to cover for it, but it would be Duncan who was left to tell everybody at school, to lie to people again.

One thing he disliked most about his sister, no matter how much he loved her, was her lies and deceptions, and yet, this was the way they’d been brought up, both him and Lilly. The truth was told when it was convenient to do so, at all other times lies must be used to cover up that which would do no good to the charater and upstanding nature of the Kane family.

Duncan wondered if the blow to the head he had received was causing the pain he felt, or if it was just an overload of secrets in his brain threatening to spill out in every direction that was causing the uneasy pressure and agony inside his head. He’d always thought things would get easier as he got older and more independent, but it hadn’t happened yet. His parents still controlled him, and the money that should make their lives less stressful ended up making them harder. The press always wanted a story, the main reason why so many secrets must be kept. Someone was always out to get a family of such wealth and fame, for various reasons.

Duncan wondered how Logan coped, since the son of two movie stars was much more in the public eye than even the children of a software giant. The strangest thing was, right now, despite all that had happened, Duncan actually felt more envious of his old best friend than anyone else.

For all the problems that were encountered by the Echolls’ boy, being abused by his father as Duncan knew he had been, then finding out Aaron and Lilly had betrayed him, there was still a lot of good in Logan’s life. His mother would do anything for him, somewhere he had a sister, and though they often fought like cat and dog, underneath it all Trina did love her little brother, in her own strange way, and they were only siblings through an adoption and subsequent marriage.

Then there was Veronica. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Logan had her too, not just for a friend, nor even a best friend, but more than that. It was obvious at the party last night that they were getting closer. The dancing, the hand-holding, the looks they shared, oh yes, Duncan was almost certain they’d be dating before long if they were not secretly doing so already.

To say he was jealous was an under-statement in spite of the fact he disgusted himself with such thoughts. Veronica could be his sister, he should not be jealous of her potential boyfriend, but he was, and he always would be, no matter who she dated.

A tap on Duncan’s door was followed by his mother entering the room, bringing with her some pills for him to take, one to ease his aching head, another to ward off further angry attacks. Dutifully he took the offered drugs, and said not a word as Celeste instructed him to get some more sleep.

Though he would do as he was told, Duncan was almost afraid to sleep, to dream. Too often he saw a perfect world behind his eyes, only to wake up in the morning and find an imperfect reality. Every day that got a little harder to accept.


	16. Ain't That A Kick In The Head

“Woah!” Logan reacted to the sight of Duncan as the Kane boy came over to his locker, located right beside his. “Don’t tell me, you walked into a door?” he guessed, though the look on his face told Duncan it wasn’t a genuine idea.

Logan knew what kind of marks were left when someone was hit, kicked, or generally beat up on. He’d had a fair few wounds in his time, of his own fathers infliction. There was no doubt in his mind that the nasty bruising and cut on his friend’s face was from an attack of some kind from a person, rather than accidental bumping into a random object.

Duncan knew the excuse Logan offered him was one of his own that he’d used to cover for the bruises and, on occasion, broken bones his father had caused.

‘I walked into a door’, ‘I tripped on the stairs’, ‘I was stupid...’ that was maybe the best one, Logan recalled, since it was at least partly true. His father only ever beat on him when he’d apparently done something stupid. More often than not Logan wasn’t overly sure what the something was, but he was always assured he’d done it. Still, he couldn’t think that Jake Kane was the type to lash out at his kids the way Aaron did, but then, who would ever have suspected him of it either?

“It’s nothing,” Duncan muttered as he opened his locker and rifled through the contents.

“Yeah.” Logan nodded once, a disbelieving look on his face as he moved to stand right next to his friend, leaning back against the lockers. “You do remember who you’re talking to, right, man?” he checked.

“Look, it really is nothing,” Duncan repeated, sounding aggravated. “I got a little drunk, slipped and fell, and banged my head on the table,” he lied like a pro, just like he always had to.

Lilly, his parents, even the hired help had learnt the same story of how he’d sustained his injury. The real truth was to remain hidden by Lilly, the alternate version by his parents. Though Duncan was sure Logan wasn’t buying what he said at all, there was little he could say in the way of an argument, at least he hoped that was true.

“Whatever you say, D-man,” his friend said, much to his relief, though the look on his face suggested he was quite disappointed at being lied to.

After all, Logan had gone through quite enough of that with Lilly, as well as his father. The Echolls boy figured that was why he liked Veronica so much, or at least it was one of the many reasons. She always told him the truth, whether it was what he wanted to hear or not, and that meant a lot.

As he walked away from his so-called best friend, whom he barely thought of as such these days as they spent very little time together, Logan headed outside, on the look-out for his girlfriend who was very much on his mind. It was amazing to him how much things had changed but he wouldn’t alter anything. Sure, it was tough, the way things had been going these past few weeks, but all the badness that had found it’s way into his life and Veronica’s own had led to at least one good thing. They had realised feelings for each other that were so strong. They made each other happy, so far anyway, and Logan only hoped this relationship would be more successful than his last. With no Kanes involved this time around, it really couldn’t be any worse, that was for sure.

Logan spotted Veronica across the quad and called to her, though she didn’t react at first. He had no idea what she was staring at or why, and frankly he didn’t much care.

What the little blonde had seen surprised her greatly. Lilly fussed over Weevil, who was just now relating some tale of a fight to his friends, at least that was what Veronica guessed as he gestured emphatically with moves that suggested punching and kicking. A fight would certainly explain how Weevil had got the nasty black eye he was sporting, but there were two things that puzzled the Sheriff’s daughter greatly. Firstly, who would have the guts to take on a guy like Weevil unless they were sure they could bring him down, and how were his biker gang not involved. Secondly, not counting some seriously insane good luck, how would anybody ever manage to land such a blow in the face of a practised fighter like the young Mr Navarro. He wasn’t head of the toughest gang in Neptune for nothing, his reputation proceeded him.

None of it made sense, and that was why, when Logan came jogging over to Veronica saying her name for the third time, she was frowning and hardly even noticed he was there.

“Geez, Veronica.” He rolled his eyes. “What does it take to get your attention today?”

“Logan, hey.” She smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry I was a little... distracted,” she admitted, glancing over at Weevil one more time, only to look away again just as fast when he caught her staring and looked her way.

“By other guys?” Logan put his hand to his heart and feigned deep hurt. “Wow, that went in deep, Veronica,” he told her and she rolled her eyes.

“You know I’m not interested in anybody else,” she assured him. “I’m not...” she stopped short when she realised how bitchy and uncalled for it would be to finish her sentence as she was going to, by saying she was nothing like Lilly, ergo she would not cheat.

“I know you’re not like her,” Logan assured her with a nod, as his hand went to her hair, and he leaned in to kiss her lips.

Of course that got the expected reaction from the few students around that caught sight of the public display of affection. Though it had been rumoured that the two were a real couple for a while now, they’d just made it official for the entire student body, something both Veronica and Logan were proud of doing. They had nothing to hide. Unlike some, they were not cheating or playing anybody, a novel situation, they were sure, to most of those that realised it.

“So this is what being the third wheel feels like, huh?” Wallace commented as he approached them, and the couple split apart.

“Hey, Wallace.” Veronica went a little pink when she realised she and Logan may have got a little carried away.

“Hey yourself,” her friend responded with a smile. “I’m guessing you two had more fun together this weekend than I did with my folks.”

“It was pretty good,” the blonde agreed, as Logan put an arm around her shoulders, staring down a couple of his old friends who glared their way, whispering about Neptune High’s latest couple. “Y’know Wallace, me and Logan getting closer doesn’t change the fact that we’re friends. You know that, right?”

“Girl, you worry too much,” he told her, looking over at Logan who had just returned his attention to the conversation. “She really thinks I got all these little girly feelings that are gonna get crushed, just 'cause you two are macking on each other?”

“What can I say?” Logan shrugged. “She’s just adorable.”

“If you two are going to make fun of me, I don’t have to hang out with either of you,” Veronica told them smartly, as she slipped out from under Logan’s arm and proceeded to walk away, feigning a bad mood.

Her two guys were soon either side of her apologising for a bad joke and offering to buy her lunch. She smiled as she realised life was good right now, especially as she caught the attention of her ex best friend. Lilly glared a little at the sight of Veronica getting along just fine without her. She had a new best friend and a boyfriend it would seem, and no need for Miss Kane in her life. If Lilly had enough of a heart she might be hurt by that.

“Not that I want to make your head swell any more than it already does,” said Veronica to her boyfriend as they sat down together at a lunch table along with Wallace. “I was kind of worried that you might have managed to get yourself into trouble between last period and here.”

“Aaw, you were worried about me?” Logan joked, just happy to feel able to do that after too much tragedy of late. “Seriously though, I just got talking to Duncan,” he explained. “He said he got drunk on the weekend.”

“Drunk?” Veronica echoed. “Duncan was drunk?” she checked, not looking exactly convinced.

Lilly loved to drink, and Logan had been known to get pretty wasted, but Veronica and Duncan had been the more sober of the two couples. They drank sometimes, but not to excess, at least not usually.

“It’s what the man said.” Her boyfriend nodded. “That was his wonderful excuse for the smack on the head he has, getting drunk and falling down.”

“But you don’t think he did?” Wallace asked, as the couple looked at each other oddly.

“It’s possible, I guess,” Veronica considered, “but not exactly likely, and the weirdest thing is I just saw Lilly and Weevil... he had a black eye.”

“Oh come on, Veronica.” Logan chuckled. “You seriously think Duncan is crazy enough to pick a fight with that psycho, especially whilst he’s dating Lilly?” he asked her. “And if he did, D-man’s not exactly a fighting machine, Weevil would never let him get in such an easy punch.”

“I guess not.” The blonde sighed as Logan flipped open his cell and called Cho’s Pizza to order some lunch.

“Oh, I know that look.” Wallace frowned. “That’s a dangerous amount of thinking you’re doing there, Veronica Mars,” he told her with a smirk. “You’re gonna hurt yourself, y’know?”

“Maybe,” she said absently, “but if what I’m thinking is right... something doesn’t add up here.” She shook her head as she got up from the table and walked off at speed.

Wallace yelled after her but to no avail, and was forced just to watch as she hurried away, catching up to Lilly who had also headed off from her own group of friends. The two girls disappeared back into the school building one right behind the other.

“Lilly,” Veronica said, as she reached out and caught hold of her arm.

“Hey, V” the Kane girl gave her a fake smile. “Wow, look at you, all talking to me like we’re friends again, and here was me thinking I was something you stepped in these days,” she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“I’m not denying that I don’t think of you as my best friend anymore,” Veronica admitted. “You did a lot of damage, Lilly, to a lot of people, and you know I can’t stand your complete lack of guilt about the whole thing,” she said, and Lilly opened her mouth to interrupt but was not permitted to as Veronica continued. “But that’s not the point right now. Lilly, what happened to Duncan?” she asked, and something very slight shifted in her ex-best friends features before she spoke.

“The idiot drank too much.” She shrugged, a light laughter in her voice suggesting none of this even mattered. “It was no big deal, I guess he and Meg must’ve fought or something, I dunno. He drank, he fell, and bam, bruised head,” she explained.

“And that’s really what happened?” Veronica checked, really not buying this story anymore from Lilly than she had when Logan said that was what Duncan had told him.

The Kane siblings were lying about this, hiding something, maybe something important and Veronica wanted to know what that something was.

“Yes, Sheriff, that’s exactly what happened.” Lilly rolled her eyes, holding up her hands in mock-surrender. “God, Veronica, you get more like your Dad everyday.”

Just as the blonde opened her mouth to answer, Weevil appeared through the door and approached them.

“Hey, baby,” he said, going over to Lilly and putting an arm around her waist. “You been gone a long time.”

“I told you I was going to the bathroom.” She rolled her eyes once again. “I just got talking to Veronica along the way,” she explained.

“I was worried about, Duncan,” the other girl said when Weevil gave her a questioning look, after all the two blondes hadn’t exactly been friendly to each other these past weeks. “But it looks like you had a little accident of the head bruising variety yourself,” she said, as she stared right back at him, not at all bothered by his gaze upon her.

“Somebody landed a lucky punch.” Weevil smirked. “What can I say, V? Ain’t one amongst us perfect, but the idiot that dared to do this to me, believe me he came off worse.”

She nodded that she certainly believed that, even if she wasn’t sure yet that she was getting the whole truth here. Surely Duncan and Weevil hadn’t really gotten into a fight, and if they had, it seemed likely the Kane boy would have been in a much worse state today.

“Okay, as fun as it is standing around talking about bruises,” Lilly said sarcastically. “I still have to go to the bathroom,” she stated, kissing Weevil on the cheek before turning to go.

He gave her a slap on the behind as she went off down the hall, grinning until he turned back and realised Veronica was still there, glaring at him with arms folded across her chest.

“What’s the deal, chica?” he asked her, expression half way between amused by the her balls and annoyed by her bothering him. “You think I was pounding on your ex-honey?”

“I don’t know what I think right now,” Veronica admitted, “but I think it’s very weird that a tough guy like you got himself a black eye, and on the same day that your girlfriend’s brother comes into school with a nasty head wound and a lame excuse about getting drunk and falling down,” she told him, even more convinced of something extra weird going on when Weevil looked away and wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Oh come on, Eli,” she used his real name just to bug him that little bit more. “Spill already, you know you want to,” she urged him, head tilted as she tried to catch his eye when he glanced back at her.

“Look at you, standing there thinkin’ you’re all tough and smart.” He shook his head. “The Sheriff’s daughter, in your grown up clothes, fighting off the bad guys and goin’ against the grain in school,” he rambled on, “but suddenly you want info out of a guy like me and it’s sweet little smiles, using my name, and tilting that cute little head of yours.”

She smirked at his words, but neither agreed they were true or denied it.

“We use what we can to get by,” she told him simply. “To get to the truth when it matters to us the most,” she said, with a serious look.

Letting out a breath, Weevil checked left and right down the hall, and then, finding no-one present, he leaned in closer to Veronica and told her the information which he had been sworn to withhold.


	17. Everybody's Talkin'

Veronica wasn’t sure what to do or say after her conversation with Weevil. He’d just got done explaining what had really happened between himself and Duncan, and why those events had occurred, when Lilly returned from the bathroom and eyed the pair of them suspiciously. After some ridiculous comment about Veronica trying to steal her boyfriend, she giggled like the cheerleader she was and steered her man on out of the school building.

Veronica had forced a smile on her face and made herself behave as normally as possible as she rejoined her boyfriend and best friend for lunch. Apart from asking her where she’d been and if she was okay, neither Logan nor Wallace questioned her too much and Veronica was glad of that. She couldn’t tell them what Weevil had told her, it was not his secret to share, and it certainly wasn’t hers.

Duncan had epilepsy, a somewhat rare kind that caused him to black out, go into rages, lash out at people, and then have no memory at all of the events. Last night it was Lilly he’d flipped out on, and Weevil, who had been waiting just outside the window had swung in to save the day, earning himself a black eye into the bargain. Veronica guessed that happened because the biker was trying not to cause too much damage to his girlfriend’s brother, but it scared Veronica to think how strong Duncan must be when he freaked out like that and had a fit.

It was frightening to think about his condition. He must have had it back when they were dating, it had only been a couple of months since the break-up. Veronica had to give up on the pizza in front of her when she realised Duncan could so easily have turned on her and badly hurt her, and though it wouldn’t have been his fault, she didn’t know how she would’ve dealt with it.

“You sure you’re okay, Veronica?” Logan checked, when she was too quiet, and was doing more staring at her lunch than eating it.

“Yeah, sure,” she forced that good old fake smile back on her face. “I’m just not so hungry right now. I had a big breakfast.”

Logan nodded his head, though he didn’t look entirely convinced. She was behaving oddly, not at all like she was yesterday. It made him wonder if he’d done something, or if perhaps in the cold light of the school day, Veronica might be regretting how close they’d gotten over the weekend. Now wasn’t the time to ask of course, not with Wallace sitting right there, but later he would have to talk to her about this, however much it scared him that their conversation might take a turned into dumpsville.

* * *

A detention put paid to Logan’s plan to talk to Veronica on the drive home from school. Instead she walked with Wallace, and though they would usually talk about anything and everything in a situation such as this, the young man found his friend still too quiet.

“Y’know I don’t know what happened at lunch.” He sighed. “And hey, if you got lady problems or whatever, or the thing on your mind ain’t something you wanna share, then that’s cool,” he told her, “but I’m here for you, Veronica, y’know if you wanna talk, even if it’s about Logan or-”

“It’s not Logan.” The blonde shook her head. “And it’s not anything... womanly.” She rolled her eyes.

Looking sideways at Wallace she suddenly made a decision. She had to talk to someone about Duncan and what she’d learned, there was so much going on in her head, and she really needed to share. Logan wasn’t the best candidate, the two of them were already far too mixed up with the Kanes and everything. Then there was her Dad, but Veronica wasn’t keen to talk to her father about Duncan either, she just wouldn’t be comfortable about it. Wallace was out of the loop somewhat where the Kanes were concerned, and the whole past story she and Logan shared with them. He was like an outsider to the situation and for that reason, as well as his being a really great friend, Veronica knew she could talk to him about this in complete confidence.

“Wallace, if I tell you something, it stays between us, right?” she said in a low voice.

“Sure.” He nodded, now starting to wonder if he ever should’ve asked what was up, after all, he’d only known Veronica a few short weeks and whilst she was turning out to be a very cool person and a good friend, he knew there had been a lot of trouble in her life lately, plus her Dad was the Sheriff. The secrets she might want him to keep could well be a little too much for him, but it would be very uncool to admit to such a thing, so he didn’t.

“Let’s go to my house,” Veronica said, as she looked around and saw too many people she didn’t know and/or trust.

When they arrived at the Mars residence a few minutes later, they found it empty of people, as Veronica knew they would. Her Dad worked way beyond the end of her school day whether he was supposed to or not, and with her Mom long gone, that left only Backup to greet her.

“Hello, boy,” the blonde greeted her dog with a grin and a pat on the head, before she dumped her bag and jacket in her room, leaving Back-up and Wallace to get acquainted.

“My mom never did let me have a dog,” he told Veronica when she returned to the room to find the pair still playing around. “She thought it’d be too dangerous to have the kind I wanted when my kid brother was born.”

The jovial look on his face soon disappeared when Veronica’s attempt at a smile failed miserably, and he remembered why he was here.

“So, you had stuff to spill?” he prompted as they headed over to the couch and sat down together.

“I... I just need to talk to someone about this, and it’s all a little complicated.” She sighed. “It’s about Duncan.”

“Are you two startin’ up again?” Wallace asked her, already feeling bad for Logan. “'Cause I know you two used to date-”

“No, we’re not together again, and I wouldn’t do that to Logan,” she assured him, not really offended by the accusation since she knew Wallace didn’t know her well enough yet. “It’s about what Logan said, about Duncan having bruises and a cut on his head.”

“Right, you got all serious right when he told us about that,” Wallace recalled. “Then you disappeared on us for a while, and you ain’t been right since, girl.”

“I went to talk to Lilly,” Veronica explained. “See, it wasn’t just Duncan who was injured, it was Weevil too.”

“So, those two got into a fight, so what?” Wallace checked, not really understanding. “I mean, I know those biker guys are bad news, and if one of them wasn’t treating any sister of mine right, I’d want to clean his clock too.”

“Clean his clock?” Veronica echoed, smiling a little more genuinely. “What movie are we in?” she checked, finding it quite amusing that little Wallace Fennell would use such a phrase.

“Whatever, you know what I mean.” He squirmed under her gaze. “Just explain what the problem is already,” he urged her, and Veronica was soon serious again as she continued, telling Wallace just exactly what Weevil had told her; that Duncan had this rare kind of epilepsy, that he’d lashed out in a rage at Lilly, that it had taken a fair whack to his head to bring him down, and that in the process of trying not to do too much harm Weevil himself had got a smack in the face from the Kane boy.

“Woah,” was all Wallace could find to say after that, but it didn’t matter that he was lost for words, Veronica still had plenty more to say.

“It just got me wondering,” she admitted, looking down at her hands. “Is this what Duncan couldn’t tell me? Is it why he broke up with me?” she wanted to know. “We were so close, and so good together, and suddenly... It just made me think today, maybe it was because he was afraid of hurting me that he ended things.”

“Y’know you could drive yourself nuts with this, right?” Wallace told her, as she glanced up at him. “If you wanna know the truth Veronica you know what you gotta do to get it.” He shook his head. “You’re the Sherriff’s daughter after all. You gotta talk to the man if you wanna know what he’s thinking or why he did whatever.”

Talk to Duncan. Veronica rolled the phrase around in her mind. Whilst they managed civilities these days, she couldn’t imagine talking to him anymore, especially not about the time when they were so close. She’d thought their happily ever after was guaranteed back then, now it was shattered forever. She wasn’t sure she knew where to begin in talking to him about this, but like Wallace said it was going to drive her nuts if she didn’t just do it.

* * *

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Logan asked for about the fifth time that morning as he pulled his yellow X-Terra into the school parking lot, and Veronica jumped out of the car too fast.

“Yes, Logan, for the hundredth time, I’m fine,” she snapped, a little too harshly, as she pulled her bag out of the back seat and swung it onto her shoulder.

“Fine,” her boyfriend said, in a tone that suggested otherwise, as he pulled his keys from the ignition and hopped out of the car, slamming the door behind himself.

“Look, Logan, I’m sorry.” Veronica sighed as she walked around the front of the car and stood in front of him. “Honestly, I am fine, I just... I have stuff on my mind right now.”

“Then tell me about it,” he urged her. “I thought we had a deal, that we’d never keep secrets, never lie,” he said, gripping her hands in his, and coming down to her level a little more in an effort to meet her eyes. “Talk to me, Veronica.”

“I will,” she assured him, kissing his lips. “I promise, I will,” she said, before sliding her hands firm his grasp and hurrying away.

Logan watched her go, his heart sinking a little. Something weird was going on, something not good. He trusted Veronica, of course he did, but he couldn’t help but think she was keeping things from him and that didn’t thrill him at all. He’d been through enough of that with Lilly, and his Dad, and too many friends that had proved untrustworthy over the years.

With an uneasy sigh, Logan got his own bag from the car and headed towards the building alone. He ran into Wallace shortly after clearing the doors and immediately realised he was the one other person who might know what was up with his girlfriend.

“Hey, man, you know what’s up with Veronica?” he asked the other boy, who shifted a little uncomfortably.

“It’s you she’s dating, Logan. You who’s known her for years.” He shrugged. “Why should I know more than you?” he said, before making an excuse to hurry away.

“That keeps on happening today,” Logan said to himself, watching Wallace leave, then glancing at his watch and pointing a finger at the ceiling just as the bell rang. 

Time for class it seemed. The mystery of Miss Veronica Mars would have to wait til later.

* * *

Despite no longer dating Duncan, and not even talking to him much for quite some time, Veronica had made it her business to know his schedule. It was good for avoiding him most of the time, now she needed to find him and get him alone in order to talk to him.

Duncan had a free period this morning, and since Veronica had a gym class she was only too pleased to skip, she feigned injury, faked a note, and was easily dismissed by her pushover of a gym teacher. She was down in the library within moments of the bell, and knew she’d find Duncan there. He got much of his homework done during frees, since home was not always the easiest place to concentrate, especially with Lilly around who was usually having a drama of some kind.

“I knew I’d find you here,” she said in a low voice as she crossed to a table at the back of the library, mostly hidden from view by the shelving full of books.

As Duncan glanced up, his eyes meeting with Veronica’s own, an uneasy look passed between them. This had been their spot in the library, the place where, up to a few short months ago, they would whisper sweet words, and distract each other from studying and homework with kisses and promises. Things were so different now, but neither could forget what had been before.

“I’m surprised you wanted to find me,” he said, sounding almost bitter. “You’re spending a lot of time with Logan lately.”

“I don’t see that’s any of you business,” she snapped, perhaps a little too harshly, before catching herself and speaking more evenly, “but that’s not why I need to talk to you.” She sighed, taking a seat beside him, glad they could not be seen, and should not even be heard so long as they kept their voices low.

“Should I be afraid?” Duncan checked, as Veronica glanced all around, ensuring they were alone it seemed.

“That’s actually a question I’ve been contemplating,” the blonde admitted awkwardly when she finally turned to face him. “Duncan, I know about your condition... your epilepsy.”

The look that crossed his face then had Veronica ready to bolt, overly aware now of the reaction that might occur. She’d never seen Duncan get really truly angry, not the whole time she’d known him. He kept his temper much better than his sister, or even Logan ever had, but now she knew what Duncan’s condition did to him, now she was worried.

“Lilly,” he spat, assuming it was his sister who had spilled, though obviously he wasn’t thinking too clearly since he knew she and Veronica hadn’t seen eye to eye for weeks, not since that night.

“It wasn’t Lilly.” Veronica shook her head. “But the who and the how are really not important. Duncan, I... I just need to know,” she said, finding herself suddenly overly emotional, something she was not all that used to. “I need to know why you never told me. Is it why you broke up with me? Because you thought I wouldn’t understand? Because you were afraid of hurting me?”

“Veronica.” Duncan sighed, leaning his elbows on the table and holding his head in his hands as he turned away from her. “I didn’t... I didn’t know how to tell anyone, my parents didn’t want me to, and I didn’t know where to start,” he admitted. “It’s not that I didn’t trust you, I did, I do,” he promised her, and she knew it was the truth, as he looked at her again and she hastily wiped away a stray tear. “It was a factor, everything was a factor, I just... I wish I had a better explanation for you, Veronica, and I’m sorry that I don’t but, y’know, I’m glad you know about this now.”

“Why?” Veronica sniffed, pulling herself together by now.

“Because you mean... meant so much to me,” Duncan corrected himself fast, glancing away for a moment and then back at her. “Veronica, whatever happened before, I never wanted us to be enemies,” he told her sincerely, and that raised a smile from her at least.

“We were never enemies,” she promised him, reaching for him suddenly and hugging him tight.

She’d been so on edge about all this. It was a relief to hear what Duncan had to say, good to know it wasn’t just her he’d kept this secret from. Even better to know he wanted the same thing as her, for them to never hate each other, to always be at least civil, in spite of all that had happened.

As she hugged him, Duncan allowed himself to hug her back, despite the fact his insides were in knots the whole time. He was relieved that Veronica knew about his illness now, he hadn’t lied about that, he was also pleased to have given his explanation without ever actually revealing why they’d been forced to break up - that she might be his half-sister, borne of her mother’s affair with his father. His head and heart were conflicted now as he held close the girl he had once loved as a girlfriend, whom he knew he should now love as a sister, and yet probably never could.

Neither of the ex-couple had any idea that they were being watched. Just a few feet away, and completely by chance, Logan had caught sight of the pair through a gap in the books on the shelf in front of him. The embrace was of course nothing but a simple friendly hug, but from the angle at which Logan stood, and with his mind already in overload about Veronica and her odd behaviour today, it looked terribly suspicious.

“Oh, my, my.” Lilly grinned as she sidled up to her ex, and followed his gaze. “Don’t they just look so cosy.”

“Shouldn’t you be down at the docks, Lil?” he shot back at her, eyes never shifting. “Y’know, waiting for the fleet to come in?”

“That’s right, Logan.” She nodded, patting his shoulder. “Make jokes. That’ll help so much when you get dumped... again.”

With that, Lilly walked away, leaving her seething ex to stare at his girlfriend and old best friend getting too close for his liking. What he was going to do next, he hadn’t quite decided, but Logan would be damned if he was going to get his heart stomped on all over again, not by Veronica Mars.


	18. Can't Stop Falling Into Love

Something weird was going on and Veronica Mars, Sheriff’s daughter, wanted to know what that something was. For the past few weeks, she and Logan Echolls had been getting closer. He drove her to and from school pretty much every day, they ate lunch together, they talked and laughed and had fun. He took her ice-skating just a couple of days ago, and things had moved on between them. They’d kissed, and admitted to deeper feelings for each other than either could ever have expected to feel. It was all good, and one of the few positive things Veronica had in her life right now. She’d lost her mother, her best friend, and her boyfriend before that, plus her Dad was busy a lot lately. Having a friend in Wallace, and moreover a boyfriend in Logan was wonderful, at least it had been for a while there.

Things had got weird when Veronica found out about her ex’s condition. Duncan’s epilepsy had thrown a spanner in the works, messing with her head and making the little blonde wonder about a lot of things. She’d needed to talk it all through with Duncan, she’d been made to see that by Wallace, and she felt better for the conversation with the Kane boy. He’d made her understand that he still cared for her, but that there were a variety of reasons why they just shouldn’t be together anymore, one of which was his condition. She hadn’t pushed him on what the other reasons might be, though a part of her had wanted to. Mostly Veronica was relieved to know no part of the break up was her fault and that in some way her and Duncan might be friends again, however awkward that might be for a while.

Following their conversation, Veronica had been eager to find Logan. She knew she’d behaved badly this morning, snapping at him when he asked if she was okay. He worried about her, and she loved that he did, but until she’d spoken to Duncan she had nothing concrete to tell him. Besides, she couldn’t let out her ex’s secret without a word from him to say it was okay to do so.

Clearly Weevil had no qualms about spilling the secrets of others, and for that Veronica was actually quite grateful since he was the one that had told her all she needed to know, still, she was not so quick to spill the secrets of others without a care. She did want to tell Logan the truth, and Duncan had practically given her permission to do so, admitting he had wanted to tell his old friend about his illness many times in the past, but never knowing quite how to broach the subject and that his parents would not look kindly on his spreading the family secret around, or one of the family secrets to be more accurate.

Veronica sighed as she made another attempt to call him on his cell. He hadn’t been there at lunch, his car was gone too, and hadn’t returned by the time the last bell rang. Wallace had no clue where he was, and a word with Mr Clemmons told Veronica there had been no trouble, her boyfriend had not been sent home for any inappropriate behaviour.

Since getting home, Veronica had been constantly calling Logan’s cell. She considered thehome phone, orjust driving over to his house, but wondered if she might scare his mother if he hadn’t come home yet. Poor Lynn, she’d had enough sadness and upheaval, as her husband was charged with attempted assault, and statutory rape, a whole string of women her own age and girls nearer Veronica’s all coming out of the woodwork, selling their sex scandal tales to magazines and TV stations. Veronica couldn’t believe how strong her boyfriend’s mother had been, easily as strong as Logan himself had tried to be. Sure, she leant on a bottle, but she was still standing, albeit with a little wobble to her stance.

“Come on, Logan.” Veronica sighed, jabbing the keys of her phone as she sat lotus style on her bed, with Backup beside her. “Where are you?” she wondered aloud, as she waited for him to answer his cell, maybe this time.

“You’ve reached Logan Echolls voicemail,” said her boyfriend’s voice on the pre-recorded message. “And here’s today’s inspirational quote; The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams, Eleanor Roosevelt.” Veronica rolled her eyes at the message she’d heard twelve times already and waited. “When it beeps, you know what to do,” Logan’s voice said at last and knowing it was stupid to be leaving message thirteen in the space of an hour, Veronica did it anyway.

“Logan, I wish you’d just talk to me,” she urged him. “Whatever is wrong, we can talk about it. I’m sorry I was weird this morning. Please, just give me a chance to explain.” She hung up then, not knowing what else to say, without just repeating herself some more as she had been the whole time so far. “What do you think, boy?” Veronica asked Backup, rubbing between his ears.

The dog peered up at her, obviously offering no actual opinion, but enjoying her attention for a few moments.

“I think you’re right.” She nodded once, as if her pet had given her just the answer she needed. “I have to go see him. Let’s just hope for his mom’s sake that Logan is being pig-headed and ignoring me.” She sighed as she climbed off the bed and shoved her feet back into her shoes. “I so don’t want to be the one to tell her that her son is missing”

* * *

Veronica pulled her car onto the drive of the Echolls house, glad that the security Lynn had employed was managing to keep the reporters at bay. Besides which, most of them had gone chasing after Aaron the moment he was released, and others were still camped on the Kane doorstep, she was sure. As it was, Veronica was fairly certain she made it to the front door without getting her picture taken at all, something she was very glad of.

Knocking on the door, she glanced around behind herself, double checking that she wasn’t going to find herself on the cover of any rag newspapers or teen magazines at breakfast tomorrow. She was less surprised by the lack of attention she was getting from possible lurkers in the bushes, and more so by who opened the front door.

“Veronica, well, what a lovely surprise.” Lynn was smiling as the blonde spun back around to face her.

Maybe Mrs Echolls had given her staff the day off, after all a big important person like her didn’t usually answer the front door herself, especially not now with all the press around, hounding for a story or picture.

“Hey, Mrs Echolls.” Veronica smiled back at her anyway. “I just came by to see Logan... and also to ask how you were doing?” she added, thinking it was both polite to do so, and also genuinely wondering how Lynn’s state of mind as right now.

“Don’t you worry about me, Veronica,” the older woman said, head held high, as she ushered the girl inside. “I have my son, and some good friends. It’s amazing what you can survive,” she said with a look that almost suggested to Veronica that she was as much assuring her as stating a fact.

She’d obviously got to hear about Veronica’s Mom leaving, and knowing as she did how caught up in the whole Aaron and Lilly thing the little blonde was, thought she should say something encouraging.

Though Lynn was a good actress, Veronica didn’t believe she was acting now. She looked happy, maybe happier than she’d ever seen her before. Still, there were upsides to this whole situation, for Lynn at least. Aaron was gone from her life, unlikely to return, and easily divorceable now, since the whole world knew of his infidelities and his temper. Logan was probably clinging to his mother more since all this broke out, and without his Dad around to beat the living daylights out of him, he was less likely to be afraid to talk to his remaining parent about things.

“So, things between you and Logan are going well?” Lynn asked, and Veronica was almost sure she saw the woman wink at her, as they walked through the house together.

“Yeah, things are good.” Veronica nodded, unsure as to how much her boyfriend might have told his mother about their blossoming relationship.

Clearly she didn’t know that anything was wrong today, though honestly even Veronica wasn’t entirely sure how big the problem was going to turn out to be.

“I think you’re good for him, Veronica.” Lynn nodded, as they stopped walking by the glass doors at the back of the house. “He needs a strong, kind young woman like you in his life. You’re a credit to your father,” she told her, putting hand on the girl’s shoulder. “You go ahead now, Logan’s just out there by the pool,” she she turned, before leaving Veronica alone.

“Thanks,” the blonde said mostly to herself, since Mrs Echolls was now gone.

It was not just the woman’s compliments that made her smile, it was the fact she didn’t catch even the slightest smell of alcohol on her breath.

Taking a deep breath, Veronica stepped out through the door onto the patio, and looked out towards the pool. Logan was laid out on a sun lounger by the edge, with his shirt off, the headphones to his I-Pod jammed in his ears and sunglasses covering his eyes. He was shut off from the world, shut off from her, Veronica thought as she headed over to him. At least it explained why he wasn’t answering his phone.

“Logan!” she called, two and three times, the last of which was said as she practically stood over him, though he pretended not to hear her still. “Logan, for God sake!” she complained, reaching to pull the headphones from his ears, but he beat her to it.

“Oh, look, it’s Veronica Mars.” He smirked, as he propped his sun glasses on the top of his head and looked at her.

There was something about the way he said her name that Veronica really didn’t like, but then she should have expected this sarcastic and snippy side of her boyfriend. She’d seen him get exactly the same way with Lilly many times before, of course most of the time she had deserved any mood her man had got into. Veronica couldn’t see her own crime had been so terrible. All she’d done was not feel like talking this morning, hardly a felony by anyone’s standards.

“Well, since you seemed to have dropped off the planet at some point during school I figured I’d come see if you were okay,” she told him, matter-of-factly. “I was worried about you.”

Logan laughed at that, though it didn’t sound like there was much humour in his tone.

“Veronica was worried about me,” he said, as if to a third person that wasn’t there. “Wow, I feel special now.”

“Oh, good.” She smiled, sarcasm evident in her voice as she continued. “Logan’s in his ‘let’s be an ass’ mood,” she said to that same invisible audience.

“I’m sorry, Ronnie.” He shook his head. “Am I not as good company as Duncan?” he asked, each word edged with steel somehow, though the question ought to have been innocent enough.

Veronica wasn’t really sure how to respond. Clearly Logan knew she’d been talking to her ex, but that wasn’t a crime. Surely it would be impossible for him to know they’d been sharing secrets without him. After all, Wallace wouldn’t tell, and Logan taking anything Lilly said as serious would be impossible right now. That only left Weevil to spill, and though that’s exactly what he’d done for Veronica, she couldn’t think for a moment that he’d have any reason to want to talk to Logan about anything, since the two of them hated each other.

“Are you accusing me of something?” she asked warily, wanting to know what she was going into before she said too much, after all, there was no need to be spilling out Duncan’s secret unless it became necessary, and she didn’t want it to be just another barb in some fight she and Logan might have.

“Well, gee, Veronica, I don’t know.” Her boyfriend faked a thoughtful look as sarcasm dripped from his words. “What on Earth could I accuse you of?”

“Stop being a jackass, and just tell me what’s going on, Logan,” she urged him, getting a little annoyed herself by now.

“Oh, I’m a jackass now?” he checked. “That’s sweet, V. I’ll bet you didn’t talk to Duncan that way when you were dating him,” he spat, “but then, did you ever really stop dating him?”

“You know that I did.” Veronica frowned. “Logan, if anyone knows about my relationship with Duncan it’s you,” she reminded him. “You also know how he dumped me, or rather didn’t bother, and you know how it hurt me.”

“Yeah, well you looked real pissed at him when I saw you,” he said, waving an arm in an emphatic gesture. “The hug was brutal.”

“What?” Veronica frowned, as Logan leapt up from the sun lounger and started to walk away. “You saw me with Duncan? You saw us hug and now you think... Oh my God,” she gasped, shaking her head as a thought crossed her mind and a humourless laugh left her lips. “You actually think I’m cheating on you?”

“Oh, come on, Veronica,” Logan called from a few steps away, whipping off his sunglasses to stare at her. “Do you really want to deny it?”

“Do you really need me to?” the blonde asked, looking astonished that he would suggest such a thing. “I don’t need this, I don’t have to take this from you!” she yelled at him. “I actually thought you trusted me, that you and me were solid and...” She shook her head as words failed her. “I know you’ve been hurt, Logan, we both have, but I thought you understood that I love you,” she exclaimed, seeming to suddenly realise what she’d said only when it was too late to take it back.

Veronica’s eyes went wide with shock as her brain processed what her mouth had just done, and immediately she turned around and attempted a hasty exit. A few feet away, Logan was similarly shocked by her outburst. They’d been getting so close lately, he’d been contemplating the L word but had no idea she had to. When he’d seen her with Duncan it’d hurt like hell and he’d immediately assumed the worst. After Lilly, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do. Now he felt awful for making such an accusation, and an overwhelming need to run after Veronica, and tell her he was sorry.

“Veronica!” he yelled, as hurried after her, catching hold of her arm just before she managed to get back to the house, and spinning her around.

She looked up at him with somewhat angry, slightly teary eyes, mostly he saw she was disappointed that yet one more thing in her life was falling apart. Logan didn’t want her to feel that way, he only wanted her to know he was falling in love too, that really he’d already fallen head-over-heels.

Without a word, he pulled her closer, wrapped his arms around her, and crushed his lips to hers. He was afraid she was going to pull away, that she would be too mad at him to reciprocate and would instead slap his face and turn angrily away. Instead she seemed to realise what he was trying to convey. He was sorry for doubting her, he loved her too, the words weren’t easy to say but he’d deal with that later, right now he was showing her all the emotions he felt, and she seemed to understand, as she began to kiss him back.


	19. My Girl

Veronica felt like she was almost floating when she arrived home. It was crazy, she’d gone through so many emotions today, and the very last one she’d expected to be feeling right now was lovesick, but here she was, fairly certain she looked like she had a hanger stuck in her mouth right now, and floating along like a leaf in the wind.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Her Dad smiled when he saw her. “Somebody looks happy.”

“What can I say? It’s a bright, sunshiny day.” She grinned, planting a kiss on her father’s cheek as she practically danced by him to her room.

Coming to stand in her doorway, he looked in on her as she dumped her bag, flipped on the stereo and sat down at her desk to do her homework.

“This bright and sunshiny day you’re having,” Keith echoed her own words, though they sounded a little silly coming from a grown man’s mouth. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain young man, about yay tall,” he gestured, “drives an over-sized banana?” he smirked, at his own odd description of the vehicle Logan owned, based purely on the bright colour of the X-Terra.

“Letting the weirdness of that description slide on by.” Veronica rolled her eyes. “Yes, this has everything to do with Logan,” she admitted. “It may just be a love thing.”

“Love?” Keith echoed. “It’s a big word, sweetheart.”

“I know.” She nodded. “And to be honest, if you’d asked me this morning what I felt for Logan, I would not have been brave enough to dip my toe in the L-O-V-E pool,” she told him, “but then we got into a fight, a stupid, lame fight over something that didn’t even happen, and before I knew it, I’d said it, and I really meant it.”

“And Logan?” her Dad checked, leaning on the door frame, arms folded across his chest as he listened intently to the things a girl should usually share with a mother were she not absent from the scene.

“He was a little stunned,” Veronica nodded. “But he feels the same way, and I know you’re going to do the Dad thing and think he just said it because he wants to take advantage or whatever but I don’t believe that,” she said firmly. “Logan isn’t like that, I don’t know that he ever was, but he certainly isn’t with me.”

“I trust your judgement, Veronica,” Keith assured her. “I told you before, Logan is a nice boy, and I’m happy for you to date him, but...” he said, which she’d anticipated since there pretty much always was one. “I will say this, however wonderful Logan seems or even is, he’s still a guy, and you’re still a girl, and... well, you know where I’m going with this,” he said, with a random wavy hand gesture. “Please, help me out here, honey, tell me I don’t have to spell it out because-”

“It’s adequately spelled,” Veronica assured him with a smile.

He only wanted her to be safe and careful, and she couldn’t blame him for that. As much as she trusted Logan, she was patently aware of the workings of the male mind. She was prepared for whatever came next, she knew that, and now she’d assured her father of that fact, she hoped he’d rest easy.

For Keith, it was good to know he had such a sensible daughter. Still, it was almost as painful to hear she knew how to take care of herself as the opposite might be. After all, she was just proving what a grown-up she was, how she didn’t need him so much anymore. No father wanted to know that, not really.

“So, lots of homework tonight?” he checked, as she pulled a few books out of her bag.

“Yeah, I kinda blew my free period on Duncan,” Veronica admitted, stopping her father from leaving her to it like he’d intended a moment ago. “Which was actually not such a bad thing since he caused the fight that led to the making up with Logan... and I think I should stop talking to you about this now because you’re my dad and to coin a popular Valley girl phrase... eeeew!” she over-acted, before going back to her books.

Keith stood in the doorway a while longer, thinking of what Veronica had just said. If Duncan had managed to cause a fight between her and Logan, it was likely down to the fact the young Mr Echolls had got jealous. Given the fact they were back together so fast and talking about love, Keith couldn’t imagine that jealousy was well founded, but there was no smoke without fire. Logan knew what Veronica and Duncan had once meant to each other, though out of the three of them only Duncan himself would know the reason they were no longer together. All this reminded Keith of the envelope he’d stashed in his briefcase, unable to summon the nerve to open it. The contents of that package held the answer to a long overdue question – was Veronica really his daughter, or borne of Jake Kane?

Moving through to the living room without a word, Keith put his case onto the coffee table and popped it open. From inside he pulled out the envelope and turned it over in his hands. He had to know the truth, and Veronica did too, despite the fact she had no idea right now that her father’s identity was in doubt.

Casting a look towards her bedroom, ensuring she was still there and had not crept up on him, whilst he was lost in thought, Keith ripped open the envelope, and pulled out the papers that were stuffed inside. Uncontrollable tears ran down his face as he read the results, knowing now he must explain all this to his daughter, it was the only fair thing to do.

So lost in thoughts and emotion, Keith didn’t notice Veronica had appeared from her room and was now standing just a couple of feet away looking stunned and worried at the sight of her father in tears.

“Dad?” she said tentatively. “Oh my God, what’s happened?” she wanted to know as she crouched down beside him! “Is it Mom?” she asked worriedly, and Keith shook his head, wiping tracks of salt water from his cheeks.

“No, sweetheart, nothing has happened to your mom,” he promised her. “Nothing bad has happened at all, I promise.”

“Then what’s going on?” she checked, not feeling convinced that everything could be so okay if her father looked so upset.

She was sure she’d never see him cry like this before, not ever. The only comfort she found was in the fact the smile wouldn’t shift from his face any faster than his tears.

“Veronica, will you sit down, honey?” Keith urged her, and nodding she took the chair opposite him. “I have something to tell you,” he said, regaining some control over his emotions by now. “It’s not going to be easy but... I’m hoping you’ll see the same happy ending that I do. "

“Okay.” Veronica nodded once, not really knowing what to expect.

“I should’ve told you this a long time ago, I know that, but no time seemed like the right time and... well, when you started seeing Duncan, the subject came up again.”

“When I started...” Veronica echoed. “I don’t understand.”

“Listen some more and you will,” Keith told her with a smile at her unwavering impatience. “Your mother, in high school, she used to date Jake Kane,” he said, not quite able to look at his daughter as he explained. “Their love for each other never entirely died.”

“Oh my God!” The blonde’s hand went to her mouth. “They were... they were having an affair?” she checked, wondering how long this had been going on, if this was why Lianne drank so much, and why her parents were now over, thinking of divorce and so forth.

“Off and on, yeah.” Keith nodded, hating that he had to talk about this but knowing it was necessary.

He’d promised Veronica to always be honest with her. This was the only secret he had ever kept, and it would be the last, he swore to himself, as he continued to explain all.

“Veronica, when your mom got pregnant with you, she wasn’t sure... We couldn’t be sure who the father was,” he said, hating the pain and tears he saw form in the blondes eyes. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” he promised her. “I did a test. I would have loved you no matter what the result but... it was positive.” He grinned, holding her hand tight in his. “I am your father, Veronica. I always was.”

“Oh my God!” she said again, as she flung herself into his arms and hugged him tight.

A rollercoaster of emotions was happening inside her, pain and hurt at being lied to, nausea at the prospect of being the daughter of Jake Kane and half-sister to her ex boyfriend, then relief and joy at knowing in spite of all this mess, the right man had come out on top. This man was her father, as she’d always thought, and she was overjoyed.

“I know it would’ve been easier to not say anything,” said Keith, his voice muffled against his daughter’s shoulder as they hugged each other tightly, “but I promised never to lie to you, Veronica,” he reminded her. “That matters more now than ever, with everything that's happened.”

“I love you, Daddy.” She sobbed into his shirt. “I’m so glad you told me.”

“I love you too, Veronica,” he promised her. “I always have, as my own daughter, whether you were or not.”

“And I am.” She smiled as she pulled out of his arms and looked at him. “I can’t believe you brought me up, loved me and cared for me, without even knowing if I was yours.” She shook her head.

“You were easy to love,” Keith told her, wiping tears from her cheeks for her. “You still are, my beautiful baby girl.”

They hugged again, still crying, Keith glad to know he’d done this now, got through the conversation he’d been dreading and come out still with a daughter that loved him. He’d expected to be hit more than hugged, and it would’ve broken him to have lost the one person left in his life that he truly loved and trusted. He thanked God this had all gone his way, as he held his daughter tight knowing that was what she definitely was – his daughter.

Veronica couldn’t believe her Dad had gone all this time, wondering if she was his child or that of Jake Kane. For all the fame and fortune, Veronica would’ve hated having any connection to that family now, though once her best friend and boyfriend would’ve welcomed her into their fold. Now one man held both those titles, and he was a better person than either of them.

“Oh my God,” she gasped suddenly. “What about Duncan, and Lilly? Do they know?”

“I don’t know, honey.” Keith shook his head. “But when Duncan broke up with you without explanation, I guessed maybe he did. I should’ve told you, I know, but-”

“No, it’s okay.” Veronica shook her head. “I don’t blame you, I couldn’t,” she promised him with a smile. “I know the truth now, that’s what matters.”

“Hey.” Keith smiled. “Who’s your daddy?” he asked, like he often did, and Veronica burst into joyful tears and laughter once again.

* * *

It was shortly after the harrowing father-daughter conversation that a knock came on the door, and both Veronica and Keith were glad that they’d had a chance to calm down, and stop looking so tear-stained and odd by now.

It was Keith who went to answer the impatient knocking at the front door, only to find Logan on the other side, in shades despite the setting sun, a grin plastered on his face.

“Good evening, Sheriff,” he said, still smiling. “I was wondering if Veronica wanted to come out and play,” he said jokingly, as he was ushered into the house, only to have his girlfriend come bolting across the room and throw herself into his arms.

“I think that might be a yes.” Keith smiled as the young couple held each other.

“Hey, Veronica,” said Logan, removing his sunglasses as he looked down at her. “You okay?”

“Better than okay,” she promised him, with a smile that barely fit on her face. “Life is good right now.”

“Good to hear.” Logan nodded, wondering where her enthusiasm for life had suddenly come from in such large measure, but not objecting to it at all.

Being with her put him in much better mood too, knowing she loved him and was so insanely happy to see him made him smile all the more.

“Er, I have Wallace waiting in the car,” he told her, as he came back to reality. “I thought maybe we could all go do something, catch a movie, bowling... ice-skating?” he suggested with a look that made her laugh.

“I don’t know, Logan,” she began, looking back at her Dad, who smiled at her.

“Go, Veronica,” he urged her. “Have fun with your friends, you deserve it.”

“You’re the best dad ever,” she told him, going over to kiss his cheek, before heading off to fetch her purse and change her shoes.

“She’s extra-peppy tonight,” Logan commented, as he and Keith both watched her disappear into her room.

Keith nodded, with a smile on his lips that he just couldn’t shift.

“That’s my girl.”


	20. We Are Family

Veronica couldn’t stop smiling as she walked down the hall, flanked by her friend and boyfriend, the latter of which had a tight hold on her right hand, swinging their arms back and forth just to make the connection overly obvious.

“You two gonna be like lovesick puppies all day?” Wallace asked with a good natured, joking tone. “'Cause y’know third wheel ain’t a good look for me.”

“Hey, can I help it if I’m irresistible to our Miss Mars?” Logan shrugged. “It’s a cross I have to bear.”

“Oh, the tragedies you suffer,” said Veronica with mock drama as they arrived at his locker, and the couple finally had to let go of each others hands.

The bell rang just as Logan finished getting the books he needed, and he and Wallace were forced to run off in the opposite direction to Veronica, Logan stealing a quick kiss before he disappeared. For a moment the blonde stood and watched them go, loving the feeling of warmth in her heart right now. She had a new best friend who was kind and decent, a boyfriend that loved her so much, and at home there was a father that had loved her all this time, in spite of only just now finding out she was really his daughter.

To be loved this much, and to feel as much love in return, it was almost overwhelming, Veronica realised. So far from when she’d felt so desolate, so lost to realise her best friend was a liar and a cheat, her boyfriend no longer cared for her, and neither did her mother, though these things were not necessarily recognised in the right order.

With a sigh, Veronica turned around to head to her next class only to come face to face with her ex and his new girlfriend.

“Duncan,” she said too seriously, the sight of him taking her aback as a whole host of thoughts ran though her head regarding her ex-lover, almost-brother, epilepsy suffering young man. “And Meg,” she added, forcing a smile, knowing none of what was in her head could be said in front of her.

“Hi, Veronica.” The other blonde smiled. “I saw you before, with Logan. You look so happy.”

“Really am.” Veronica nodded. “There’s kind of a lot to smile about lately, which makes a refreshing change.”

“It does.” Meg also nodded in agreement of that statement, as Duncan stood awkwardly between them. "We should probably get to class,” she said suddenly. “We have English so...” she began, gesturing vaguely between herself and Veronica.

“Oh yeah, we do,” she agreed, knowing she needed to speak to Duncan as soon as possible, and now would be as good a time as any, “but I have an appointment, dentist,” she ad-libbed. “Could you maybe tell Miss Jordan where I skipped out to and maybe fill me in on what happened in class later?”

“Okay, sure,” Meg agreed, leaning in to her boyfriend and kissing his cheek before hurrying away.

“Was that for real?” Duncan checked. “The dentist thing? Or do you have a case you’re trying to crack?” He smirked, knowing she often helped out her dad as Sheriff, or had her own little investigation going on regarding the school lunch ladies or rumours in the teachers lounge.

“It was a small, white lie,” she admitted. “I need to talk to you."

“Veronica, if this is about yesterday...” he began, but she shook her head.

“It’s not about... your condition,” she said in a low voice, ever mindful of the few students that were still milling around the halls. “Come with me,” she said, suddenly grabbing his arm and practically dragging him around the corner.

In moments, Duncan found himself in the girls bathroom, with the door being wedged shut from the inside.

“Veronica, what are you...?” he started to ask.

“What I have to say is private,” she told him. “About your parents, and mine,” she explained. “Specifically, my mom and your dad.”

The way Duncan looked away from her so fast betrayed the fact he knew where she was going with this. He knew they might be related, he’d known for a few months now, and Veronica was certain that was why he’d had to end their relationship. She wished he’d talked to her about it, but she could see why he wouldn’t. The damage it would’ve done, both to his family and hers, not only in the financial sense and with regards to reputation, but the tears and tantrums that would’ve burst forth, it could’ve been disastrous for so many people.

“Look, I know they used to date if that’s what you mean,” Duncan muttered, eyes still down.

“That’s part of it.” Veronica nodded. “But mostly I need to talk to you about us maybe being brother and sister,” she said matter of factly, as Duncan’s eyes shot up to meet hers. “It’s not true, Duncan,” she assured him. “My dad had a DNA test done. I am his daughter, which means we are not related.” She shook her head, her tone firm and even, and her eyes the same.

This was for real, the God’s honest truth, just like Veronica always told him. All those fears, worries, nagging doubts were brushed aside. Duncan and Veronica were not related in any way, and that meant he no longer had to feel guilty about so much that had gone before, so many words, and actions, and even feelings that would be insupportable had she really been his sister, but she wasn’t, and never had been.

“I don’t know if you breaking up with me was related to you finding out about us and the connection we might have,” Veronica went on to say, “and I don’t want to know now.” She shook her head, holding her hand up to silence him when he opened his mouth to speak. “Duncan, you were a wonderful chapter in my life. My first real boyfriend, my first shot at the true love thing, but for whatever reason it didn’t work out. I guess it wasn’t ever supposed to, because now I’m with Logan and... and I’m not trying to hurt you but I love him. I love him so much and I can’t even begin to explain how that happened, but I do. My life has moved on, and given the way Meg looks at you, I’m pretty sure she’s head over heels for you too.”

“Meg is great,” Duncan agreed, “and I... I do love her, I think, but Veronica, what we had-”

“What we had was incredible, Duncan, it was.” She nodded, tears forming in her eyes for reasons she didn’t quite understand, probably just the sheer emotion of this situation and all related circumstance that had come before it. “But it’s done now. We both moved on, and we can’t go back. Would you really want to?” she asked, hoping he didn’t make this neatly tied up situation suddenly messy by saying he did.

Duncan stood speechless for what felt like an eternity but was literally just a minute or so. He thought about what life had been, what it was, and what it could be. He’d survived all too easily without Veronica at his side. He’d expected seeing her with Logan to almost kill him, yet it had bearly made a cut. He’d not realised how much he could feel for Meg and yet so much emotion bubbled within him whenever she was around. Somewhere along the line he had moved on, just like Veronica had said. Would he ever want to be as happy as he was with her again? Yes, he’d like that happiness, but in that moment he realised he already had it, and without her as his girlfriend.

“You’re right.” He smiled, feeling emotional too. “We moved on.”

“We did.” Veronica nodded. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, right? We used to be, a long time ago.”

“We never stopped,” he promised her, as they reached to hug each other.

Veronica sighed with relief, and the smile she almost lost settled firmly back on her features, as she rested her head on her friend’s shoulder and hugged him tight. It ought to make her nervous that everything was going her way. When one part of your life started going up this much, surely another part was just about due to take a fall.

* * *

“Yo, Veronica!” Wallace called as he caught up to her on the way out to the quad right after the lunch bell rang. “You seen Logan around? He got a call from the office in first period and I ain’t seen him since.”

“There it is.” Veronica sighed, as they changed course together and headed for the administrations office.

“There what is?” her friend asked with a frown, not getting it.

“The thing that just had to go wrong on my perfect day,” she said wearily as she spoke to the woman behind the desk. “Um, hi. Logan Echolls was called down here earlier, I’m a little worried because I haven’t seen him since then. Did he leave school with somebody or...?”

“Do you really think that’s your business, Miss Mars?” Mr Clements asked as he appeared behind her and the blonde spun around with a grin on her face that she reserved especially for her favourite principal.

“Mr Clements, I was just concerned over Logan,” she told him. “You know he’s been through a lot lately and I just want to know he’s okay.”

“Since I just saw him sitting out on the quadrant, all alone at a lunch table,” the principal explained, “I’d say all he’s suffering from is lack of friends.”

“That’s our cue.” Wallace smiled, before steering Veronica away from the desk and out of the doors. “I guess maybe he just felt like skippin’ class.”

“Maybe,” Veronica nodded, though she wasn’t convinced laziness was her boyfriends only problem as she spotted him at the table with his head down, flipping his cellphone over and over in his hands and staring at it as if it held life’s answers.

“Penny for your thoughts,” the blonde offered as she slid onto the bench next to him.

Wallace decided maybe three would be a crowd right now right now and responded to the calls of his friends on the basketball team, going over to sit with them instead.

“Lets just say today’s good mood took kind of a thoughtful dive off the pier.” Logan sighed, taking hold of Veronica’s hand and squeezing it.

“Okay.” She nodded. “Once again with a little less cryptic would be good,” she advised, half-smiling at her own joke, not sure yet if jokes were even appropriate in this situation.

“My dad got picked up for drunk driving.” Logan sighed. “He almost hit another car, they had to swerve and they got a little bashed up. Nobody seriously hurt but Daddy Dearest has a couple more lines to add to his ‘Why I’ve Been A Naughty Movie Star’ list.” He sighed. “Doesn’t exactly make a son proud, does he?”

“I’m sorry,” Veronica said honestly as she put an arm around her boyfriend. “I really wish I knew what else to say but-”

“But nobody does,” said Logan with a wry smile. “Honestly, even I don’t know what to say, and that has to be something worthy of front page news,” he joked.

“I’ll tell them to stop the presses,” she joined in the laugh that didn’t quite get the chuckle it deserved, not right now.

“It’s okay, y’know?” Logan sighed. “The faster my father is out if my life and my mom’s life, the better it’ll be for all of us,” he reasoned, thought it was obvious he was less than thrilled to realise that every last good part of his parent was vanishing before his eyes.

“I can’t argue with that,” Veronica told him, “but y’know you’re not alone, Logan,” she reminded him. “You still have your mom, and your friends, Wallace, and me.”

“I’m not sorry about that,” he agreed, though the intensity in his eyes as he looked into hers suggested it was mostly the part about having her that meant most to him. “It’s not the most romantic of settings, and I should’ve said it before but... I love you, Veronica,” he said softly, sounding almost nervous about saying the words.

It was strange to think that this young man, son of two movie stars, heir to a fortune the like of which Veronica almost couldn’t imagine, could look almost scared of saying what he really felt, when those feelings were love. Still, he had no need to worry. Veronica felt just the same as he did, and had told him so just yesterday, still it bore repeating.

“I love you too, Logan,” she promised him, as she leaned in and put her lips to hers.

* * *

“So, how much trouble do you think I’m going to be in with the Sheriff for whisking you away right after school and not bringing you back until now?” Logan checked as he pulled the car up outside the Mars residence.

He’d needed to get away, do something different and off the wall once school was out, and Veronica had agreed to go with him, knowing her Dad would be working for a good two or three hours after she was done with school. They’d been even longer still than she’d anticipated, when Logan had dragged her down to the beach where she’d watched him surf a while, before they’d gotten something to eat, and later lost complete track of time making out under the boardwalk.

“Hmm, let’s see.” Veronica sighed in fake thought. “I’m guessing you’ll be somewhere between a stern telling off and ‘Now where the hell did I put my gun?’” she said as seriously as she could manage, before busting up laughing.

Logan joined in chuckling at her joke as he hopped out of the car and opened the passenger door for his girlfriend.

They walked up to the house hand in hand, still laughing and joking, til they reached the door where Logan leaned in to give Veronica a kiss goodbye. As she leant back against the door to steady herself, it gave way behind her, obviously having been left not quite closed. The young couple laughed as they almost fell on top of each other, their laughter quickly dying when they heard audible gasps and looked across the room.

There on the couch was Veronica’s father and Logan’s mother, her lipstick smeared on his lips, and their clothes rumpled.

“Oh my God!” the blonde gasped at the sight, as the adults tried to straighten themselves out and sit properly.

“Yeah, my God too.” Logan nodded, both he and his girlfriend wondering what the hell was going on here, but fearing the answer they might get if they asked.


	21. Surrender

Veronica was smiling as she came out of the house and hopped into the car beside Logan, though inside she was feeling somewhat awkward.

“Hey,” he greeted her, leaning in for a kiss that she barely responded to, before putting the car into reverse and pulling off the drive. “So, how long before one of us breaks the awkward silence with some awkward conversation?” he asked as they stopped for a red light half way to Neptune High.

“Did your mom say much to you about...?” Veronica asked, the look on her face potraying the weirdness she felt about the whole situation.

“No, thank God.” Logan shuddered involuntarily. “Honestly, Veronica, the last thing I wanted to ask about was my mom and your dad’s sex life.”

“They do not have a... Do you think they really...? Oh my God, why am I asking that?!” she chastised herself, joining in the new in-car activity of uncontrollable grossed-out shuddering.

As the red light turned to green, and they continued on to school, the weird silence descended between them again. Things had been going so well, and Logan and Veronica were so happy just to have each other and be together. Of all the badness that had found it’s way into their lives, their relationship was the one good thing to come out of all the mess. Things had been looking up from many an angle; Aaron was almost guaranteed to be out of their lives, something that not even his son could find to care about; Veronica and Duncan had found a way to be friends, and he seemed really happy with Meg; and poetic justice appeared to finally be served to Lilly, Logan and Veronica realised, as he pulled the car into his usual space in the school parking lot.

“Oh come on, Eli.” Lilly waved her arm in empathic gestures as they stood opposite each other a few feet away, his gaze upon her as cold and harsh as steel.

“Don’t you ‘Come on, Eli’ me, Lilly, not now!” he yelled back at her. “You messed with the wrong guy this time.”

“It was just a stupid thing I did.” Lilly sighed. “You know I get bored and Chardo was just, y’know, there,” she said, like it was no big deal.

“Chardo?” Logan frowned as he and Veronica got out of the car and hovered at the back of the crowd that gathered around the scene.

“Weevil’s cousin,” Veronica whispered to him, which only made Logan frown harder since he couldn’t figure out how Veronica could know that. “I hear things,” she shrugged as they watched the argument continue.

“You really think I care?” Lilly laughed, though Veronica and Logan knew it was fake, even if none of her friends or Weevi’s could tell. “I could have any guy I want in this school, in this town,” she told him smartly.

“That don’t make you smart, little girl.” Weevil shook his head. “That makes you a nympho brat, and I don’t want no part of that,” he told her, walking away and gesturing for his boys to follow him.

“You’re an asshole, Navarro!” Lilly yelled after him, turning away to face her friends. “I don’t need him.”

Veronica watched the Kane girl who had been her best friend for so long. For the first time in a long time she could see pain in her eyes, even at this distance. Though the girl professed not to care for public opinion, or for any man she went with, something suggested that perhaps this was one mistake she regretted making.

“Looks like the show’s over,” Logan said, though Veronica barely heard him as she continued to stare at Lilly.

The so-called friends that stood by Lilly after the whole deal with Aaron, very few of them remained, and though the guys had hung around hoping for an easy lay, they’d long gone over the past few weeks as Lilly made it known she was dating one of the biker crowd. Just two or three bitches remained at the blonde’s side now, those that knew the choice they had was to stick by her, or risk being shot down by her.

“Lilly!” Veronica wasn’t quite aware it was her own voice that had called the name of her former best friend.

“Hey, look who’s suddenly talking to me,” she faked a smile as she came over. “What did I do to deserve such an honour, Veronica?” she checked, as Madison and Shelley remained a few feet away, whispering conspiratorially.

“Logan, weren’t you going to go find Wallace about that thing?” the Sheriff’s daughter said, as she glanced up at her boyfriend, the look in her eyes telling him to please let them alone a while, and she would explain why later.

“Yeah, that thing,” he agreed, rolling his eyes and leaning in to kiss her cheek, at the same time whispering in her ear. “Shabby cover, Mars,” he told her with a smirk as he walked away, and she batted him across the arm as he went, smiling in spite of herself.

“So, what?” Lilly checked. “You wanted me over here to see you guys fawning over each other?” she asked, hand on her hip and she all but struck a pose for all to admire her.

“No.” Veronica shook her head. “Actually, Lilly, I was going to ask if you were okay,” she explained, somewhat stunning her ex-best friend, though Lilly barely let it show. “As much as I want to tell myself you deserve Weevil to dump you and your friends to turn on you, I know it all hurts, and I know you’re not quite as tough as you’d like everybody to think.”

“For your information, Veronica Mars,” Lilly scoffed, “I’m tougher than anybody thinks, and besides, you really think Eli Navarro meant so much to me?” she asked, looking unimpressed.

“Yes, I do.” The other girl nodded. “I might not be as rich, or even as smart as you sometimes, Lilly,” Veronica admitted, “but I know people, I read them pretty well. Despite what everybody else thought or thinks, I know Weevil loves you, and I think out of all the guys you’ve claimed to have feelings for, he might just be the one where you meant it. That’s all I wanted to say.” She shrugged, before turning and walking away, going to find Logan and Wallace.

She left in her wake one very stunned Lilly Kane, surprised not only by the fact her ex-best friend seemed to care about her life or feelings, but also that she seemed to know what nobody else did. She wasn’t wrong about what she felt for Eli. He was different, kind of special. Sure it’d started out as a way to make her parents go nuts, dating a guy from the wrong side of the tracks, but he treated her well, and when he said he loved her, somehow she knew he meant it.

That wasn’t to say Logan hadn’t been a great boyfriend too, but she just hadn’t felt the same about him. Truth be told she’d only really got together with him to prevent herself being the third wheel when Donut started dating Veronica. Now she saw how well her brother was getting along with Meg, who was always too sweet in her own opinion, and how annoyingly cute Veronica and Logan seemed together, there was no way Lilly could argue with that. She also had trouble finding a decent argument against her being with Eli, except for the fact he just dumped her. Maybe she should try and work it out with him, assuming of course that it wasn’t too late.

* * *

“So, Logan here tells me you were talking to Lilly just now,” said Wallace as Veronica caught up with her friends in the hall. “You didn’t scratch her eyes out or anythin’ right?” he checked. “'Cause y’know me and Logan are gonna be pissed if we missed a cat-fight,” he said with a glint in his eye.

Veronica looked half way between unimpressed at the implication and amused at the semi-joke as she reached her locker and opened it up.

“It was just girl stuff.” She shrugged. “Nothing huge, so stop looking so worried,” she told Logan, reaching up to kiss his briefly, when she spotted his expression.

“You talking to Lilly is barely worrying,” he assured her, as she went back to digging books out of her locker and he turned to lean on the next one. “I think my mom and your dad managed to re-set the whole creepy worrying scale last night.”

“Please do not remind me.” Veronica shuddered once again, as Wallace looked amused.

“Hold on a second.” He shook his head. “Your dad, and your mom,” he pointed to Veronica then Logan. “They were like...?”

“Rolling on the couch like a couple of teenagers?” Veronica filled in for him. “Oh, yeah.”

“Man, that’s gotta be weird,” their friend declared. “Especially since if they get hitched, you guys will be like brother and sister.”

Veronica turned from Wallace to Logan with troubled eyes hating what she was hearing. She was just finding happiness in her own love life, and as much as she’d like to think her Dad could find someone to make him happy too, the fact that was her boyfriends mother was beyond creepy. She’d just figured out the mess that meant she and Duncan might have been siblings, only now to find she and Logan could potentially one day have a similar link, albeit not by blood.

“How could they do this to us?” Veronica asked her boyfriend who put his hands on her shoulders and leant in close.

“Forget about it, Veronica,” he urged her, as he kissed her lips, taking her mind off anything but him, and leading to Wallace deciding he ought to be otherwhere.

Of course he didn’t object to his two new friends being a couple, on the contrary, it was good to know they wouldn’t feel too awkward when he introduced them to...

“Hey, Wallace,” said a perky little voice that caught the attention of his two friends for a moment, and they parted from their embrace to turn and see who was there.

“Er, hey,” Wallace said, feeling a little awkward. “Guys, this is Collette,” he introduced her. “This is Veronica and Logan, friends of mine.”

“Hi.” The brunette smiled, and put her hand up in a vague waving action.

“Hey there, Collette.” Veronica frowned slightly as she looked at the unfamiliar girl. “Are you new to Neptune?”

“Yes, actually.” She nodded. “I transferred from across state. My first day was just yesterday so I really don’t know anybody.”

“Except Wallace, apparently,” Logan noted, as he kept his arms looped around Veronica’s form from behind, leaning over to rest his chin on her shoulder. “Of all the people you could meet, it was our good buddy here.”

“We actually knew each other a little from Junior High,” Wallace explained. “Though when Collette rolled up at the Admin desk yesterday, I almost didn’t recognise her.”

“I guess I changed some.” She giggled, pushing her hair over her shoulder. “You have no idea how much difference it can make to your life when you lose ninety pounds,” she said, as if it were nothing much to mention.

“Well, good for you.” Veronica nodded, her brain trying to comprehend how large this girl must have been once before.

The bell rang then, and Collette had to dash off to class, as did Veronica, her boyfriend reluctantly letting her go, and placing one last kiss on her lips before she left him behind. When they were gone, Logan turned to Wallace.

“So, Collette, huh?” he said with a smile. “Has our little Wallace got himself a girlfriend,” he fake gasped. “I’m so proud,” he told him, with his hands over his heart.

“You ain’t funny, man,” Wallace told him, though a smile formed on his lips anyway, as they headed off down the hall to their own first class. “And no, she’s not my girlfriend, yet, but I’m working on it. We actually got along pretty good when we were kids, and not that her weight ever bothered me but I’m not objecting to the fact she is smokin’ hot now.” He smirked.

“She is easily a Grade A hottie,” Logan nodded, and Wallace shot him a sideways glance. “Yeah, and if you tell Veronica I said that...” he warned, drawing his fingers across his throat and making a cutting sound, though his threat was pretty empty given the smile on his face.

“Your secret’s safe with me, bro,” Wallace assured him, slapping him on the back. “Besides Veronica would never ask me anythin’ about you.” He shook his head, a wicked smirk on his face as he added. “She’d just bug your back pack and listen in.”

The pair headed into class then, Logan looking suspiciously at the bag he’d just taken off his shoulder. Veronica wouldn’t really do that to him, he was sure, though he may just have to ask her at lunch. One thing was for sure, dating the Sheriff’s daughter and hanging out with her and Wallace, was unlikely to be dull.


	22. Epilogue - Summer Lovin’

“So, how long do you think it’ll take for the paperwork to come through?” Veronica asked as she walked along the beach with her boyfriend, Backup pulling on the lead in front of them, eager to run already.

“Mom’s lawyer doesn’t think there’ll be any problems, since my dad’s crimes were shared so well with the world,” Logan told her. “They should be divorced in a couple of months, and we don’t have to lose the house or anything.”

“I guess your dad’s not really going to need it where he is,” Veronica considered. “Not for a good while anyway.”

“Even when jail is through with him, I can’t see him coming back to Neptune,” her boyfriend told her. “But hey, why do I need my own father when I can share yours?” he grinned, putting his arm around her shoulders as they continued walking.

“That should sound scary,” Veronica realised, “but I can’t help being happy for my dad and Lynn. They actually make the weirdest cute couple.” She smiled, as she thought about it.

These past months, Veronica and Logan had been so eager to spend time together, as had their parents. Though the Sheriff and the ex-actress wife of a superstar seemed an even less likely pairing than the Sheriff’s daughter and a movie stars son, they got along so well. Love was most definitely in the air between the Echolls’ and Mars’ families, and despite the slight squick factor, nobody could be happier about it if they tried.

As Logan and Veronica reached a familiar patch of rocks, the blonde let Back-Up off the leash to run and swim a while. She and her boyfriend sat down together, his arm around her, as her head dropped onto his shoulder.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, kissing the top of her head.

“Honestly?” she sighed. “I was thinking about Lilly,” she admitted, causing Logan to be looking at her quite strangely when she glanced up, making her smile amusedly.

“Okay.” He nodded. “I’ll bite. Why are you thinking about my ex?” he asked.

“She’s not just your ex-girlfriend, Logan,” Veronica reminded him. “She was my best friend too, and despite all she’s done, I can’t help be at least a little happy about what I saw today.”

“Do tell, Miss Mars,” Logan urged her with a grin. “What secrets have you been uncovering?”

“I think Lilly and Weevil are getting back together, but in a much less public eye way,” she explained. “As crazy as it sounds, and I know she hurt you a lot, and me too, but I’m just happy she’s happy." She shrugged. “Is that crazy?”

“It’s not exactly normal,” he told her with a smirk, “but maybe I wouldn’t love you half so much if you were ordinary,” he told her, leaning in for a kiss that she happily reciprocated. “You know Lilly’s not all bad, even I know that,” he said a moment later when they parted. “I really expected her to sell her story. Y’know the great affair with a movie star that turned psycho?”

“The thought crossed my mind that she might do that too.” Veronica sighed, glad her old best friend hadn’t gone that far.

She suspected, however, it was more the Kane family wanting to hush up the whole sorry business, than it was Lilly’s decision to avoid the limelight she so loved.

“Of all people, it was Trina that wanted the movie rights to all this.” Logan chuckled, and shook his head.

“I still can’t figure why she was so into that,” Veronica agreed. “She wasn’t even here when it all happened, but I have to admit, it would’ve been cool to see Evan Rachel Wood playing me on TV,” she joked, striking a pose on the rocks.

“You, Miss Mars,” said Logan, getting up and pulling her up beside him, so her body was flush to his, “are more beautiful, smart, and amazing than any TV actress. She never would’ve done you justice,” he said with a smile, as they kissed once again.

Six months on from when their adventure together had begun, they were the perfect picture of young love. Now a whole Summer lay ahead of them to be enjoyed in the peace and tranquillity of Neptune. Well, maybe that was pushing it just a little.

The Sheriff’s daughter and movie stars’ son were bound to find themselves in some trouble or other before school started up again in the Fall, but for now they were happy just to be together, knowing they could face whatever life threw at them, just so long as they had each other to lean on.


End file.
